Viku, a boy, and Haatee, an elephant, live in a forest in India. They have become good friends and help each other. Viku rides on Haatee’s back as they travel around the forest having adventures together. In Book 1 of this series, Viku and the Elephant, they thwart the evil plans of ivory poachers. They leave the poachers on a tiny island surrounded by crocodiles. This book, Viku and the Ivory Thieves, continues the story. Viku rescues the ivory poachers from the island with the help of police. The thieves are given a chance to redeem themselves by working for forest conservation. Viku wants to make the forest a safe place for elephants so no ivory poachers or thieves will come to harm them. Soon he meets a clever thief who plans to steal ivory tusks from the elephant’s graveyard. This man tells Viku that he is a friend of the forest and wants to work for conservation. At first Viku trusts the man, but then becomes suspicious. Viku tells the police but he has no proof. The chief of police works out an ingenious plan with the help of Viku to trap the thief.
These Viku adventure stories tell us about life in India while exploring the meaning of friendship, cooperation, and conservation.
This book works well as a read-aloud story for young children, is suitable for early readers (2nd and 3rd grades), and is an excellent chapter book for 4th and 5th graders.