by Thomas French. Pulitzer Prize-winning St. Petersburg Times journalist French delivers a knockout background look at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. Drawing on his six years of in-depth reporting, he chronicles the rise of Lowry Park from one of the worst zoos in the country to one of the best. The story begins in August 2003 when 11 elephants are loaded on a plane in South Africa for a lengthy transatlantic flight; four of the pachyderms will be delivered to the Florida zoo. The brainchild of then-director Lex Salisbury, this years-in-the-making feature exhibit seemed impossible at times and was highly controversial. It was designed to bring in needed revenue, raise attendance, and focus public attention on the total -reimagining of Lowry Park. French takes us back to earlier times, when the zoo was notorious for its poor design and animal care. Later, the zoo's notoriety centered on internal controversies ranging from personnel issues and morale to legitimate claims of conflicts of interest and mismanagement of funds. Verdict This behind-the-scenes look will both entertain and enlighten animal lovers. It is a story that needs to be told, and French does it superbly. --Library Journal.
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