Maxine the Strong-Willed Elephant

Maxine the Strong-Willed Elephant is a book by Dorris Fortson of Neema Village, based on the story of Maxine, a baby who was rescued and raised in the Neema Village rescue center.

Maxine was very tiny when she was born and left alone, weighing just over two pounds. After coming to Neema Village, one day Maxine became very sick and Bekah, an EMT living at Neema, raced her to the hospital where the doctor said, “This baby will not make it.” Bekah replied, “Oh yes she will, she is as strong willed as an elephant.” And so began the story of Maxine the Strong-Willed Elephant.

We worked on the illustrations, basing the characters and backgrounds on animals and plants found near Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania – near the area where the real Maxine was raised.

You can support the great things happening at Neema Village by purchasing your copy of the book here.