Ralph Helfer: 4 books

A trainer shares true stories of famous lion, orangutan, and other animal actors that “will hold readers enthralled” (School Library Journal). They are major stars who do not speak a word onscreen, yet are world famous for their compelling performances. Who are they? The animal stars of...

From the creators of The World's Greatest Elephant comes the real-life story of the MGM Studios Lion. Perhaps the most recognizable Hollywood animal--outside of Lassie--is "Leo the Lion," MGM Studios' famous mascot. For decades his image introduced hundreds of motion pictures, and Zamba the...

When Ralph Helfer, now one of Hollywood's top animal behaviorists, first began working, he was shocked by the cruelty that was accepted practice in the field. He firmly believed in "affection training" -- that love, not fear, should be the basis of any animal's development, even when dealing...

Spanning several decades and three continents, Modoc is one of the most amazing true animal stories ever told. Raised together in a small German circus town, a boy and an elephant formed a bond that would last their entire lives, and would be tested time and again; through a near-fatal shipwreck in...