Tua is allowed to explore her village and street market and to travel with Pohn-Pohn to find the refuge without adult supervision. What makes this story so unique is the immersion in another culture that children may know little about. The illustrations not only add a visual depiction of the setting, sounds and sites of the novel, but also portray the tender relationship between Tua and Pohn-Pohn, as they bond during her rescue and help each other on the way to safety. This multicultural adventure is a great bridge book for middle grade readers, with the incorporation of many stylized charcoal and linoleum block-print full-page pictures, boldly done in rich purples and golden orange that add much texture to the story. When they reach the safety of the sanctuary, Pohn-Pohn is introduced to other elephants, and Tua learns how Pohn- Pohn will be cared for. Grateful, Tua prepares to take Pohn-Pohn to the sanctuary.
At the temple, they are fed and cared for, and Chichi assists in finding an elephant sanctuary where Pohn- Pohn can live. Humor and danger mix, as they walk through the traffic in the village and along the river and rice fields until they reach the temple. On the way, Tua and Pohn -Pohn have to outsmart the mahouts, who are chasing them. ChiChi, an uncle and monk, can help hide Pohn- Pohn at the Buddhist temple. Tua and Auntie Orchid name the elephant Pohn -Pohn, and begin to plan how to get her to safety. The humor of finding an elephant in the house and trying to feed her seem like everyday events here and are delightful. She coaxes the elephant into Auntie Orchid’s house to hide her. So their adventures together begin with Tua rescuing the elephant from the mahouts, who had her staked and chained to the ground. But she has seen the longing look in the elephant’s eyes, and she knows she must help her, come what may. She comes upon a young elephant, whom she immediately tries to befriend, but she is stopped by the two mahouts, who are the elephant’s keepers. Our heroine knows her way around and shows she is both fearless and warmhearted. As she stops to buy mung beans for Auntie's curry noodles she listens to the street band play and watches a vendor carving animals from soap she accepts a necklace of fragrant flowers from a friend.
Her favorite foods, papaya and cilantro salad, chocolate sauce and roti tempt her. She works her way through her Thai village, stopping under the string of lights and taking in the view. At ten years old, Tua navigates the open air night market as an expert.
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