Elephant Moon

``There are elephants in Africa,'' writes the author of this sweetly told and delicately painted picture book. Le Tord ( Peace on Earth: A Book of Prayers from Around the World ) shows adult elephants tenderly caring for their young; coexisting with other wildlife; grazing in their African habitat. ``There are elephants in Africa,'' she begins again, describing them as ``gentle and tender / powerful and fierce.'' The third repetition of the opening phrase leads to a lullaby-like passage about elephant young sleeping in the light of the moon. The artwork, rendered in diffused shades of pink, green, blue and gray, suggests both fragility and splendor. Its poignancy reflects the heartfelt preface, which explains that the African elephant is direly threatened by the ivory trade; ``Looking at hundreds of elephant photographs and peering into their eyes made me feel as if I were looking at someone I know,'' adds Le Tour, who also lists organizations committed to saving the elephant. Poetic and powerful. Ages 5-8. (June)