The Day of the Elephant by Barbara Ker Wilson

This picture book was written by the author as a means of assisting the Asian tsunami aid effort. It has simple but effective illustrations, and tells the story in a way that would appeal to children of many ages. It is about the extraordinary sixth sense of animals and one brave elephant who saved a group of children during the tsunami disaster in southern Thailand. I'm not sure if it is based on real people, but it gives a great perspective into the lives of children from another culture.