Laurens van der Post once wrote about encountering a rhinoceros in the wild and being amazed to discover he found it truly beautiful. In this wonderful children's book for those eight years and up, Mary Tavener Homes tells the true story of a Dutch sea captain who took a rhinoceros from India named Clara on a tour of Europe in 1741.
Clara consumed lots of food, and also licked the captain's face after he ate an orange or smoked his pipe. In Germany, Austria, France and Italy, where most people had never seen a rhinoceros before, Clara was a big hit. She inspired clocks, teapots, statues, and even hair styles shaped like rhino horns. Jean-Baptiste Oudrey painted a life-sized portrait of Clara in France. She had many other adventures, living to age 20. This delightful story is enhanced by the charming illustrations of Jon Cannell.
