Elmer by David McKee. 1989 (Reprinted
from first edition, released in 1968). 32 pgs. New York, NY: HarperCollins
Publishers. 9780688091712. Format reviewed: Hardcover.
Annotation: Elmer the
elephant is different from all the other elephants and disguises himself to be
like everyone else… until everyone else misses Elmer!
Reaction: Elmer is a tale
in learning to accept and embrace your own individuality. Elmer isn’t
elephant-colored- he’s a patchwork of colors. When he finds a tree with
elephant colored fruit, he covers himself up, trying to be like everyone else…
until he realizes that what makes him unique also makes him stand out. The best
part of the story comes at the end, which seems very progressive for the year of
its publication—on Elmer’s Day, Elmer paints himself elephant color, and all of
the other elephants paint themselves like Elmer- crazy, colorful patterns.
Great read with my children.
Primary early literacy skills:
Narrative skills. Elmer features a very linear plot, which makes following the
story very easy. The theme of individuality and the desire to be like everyone
else (in some respect) is a theme that children will be able to identify with
and express themselves. Great starting point for discussions and dialogic
reading about when children felt the same way, allowing them to use narrative
skills to express themselves.
Recommended ages: Ages 4
and older.
Tags/themes: Elephants,
individuality, uniqueness, loneliness.
Author site/additional titles:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/elmer
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