Elmer the Elephant by David McKee is a wonderfully amusing, inviting book that I have very fond memories of reading and enjoying as a child.
The story is based on Elmer a multicoloured elephant and his feelings towards believing he is segregated from his herd for being a different colour. Whilst his herd comprises elephants of varying ages and sizes, they are “all happy and all the same colour”. Elmer yearns to fit in among the other elephants and is tired of being different. Despite being well liked and the elephant that makes the others smile and happy he is sad to look different and one morning Elmer slips away to seek a means to make himself grey. Covering himself in berry juice from elephant coloured berries found in the jungle, Elmer disguises himself and is thrilled to look like all the other elephants. Returning to his herd Elmer is no longer recognisable to the other elephants. Elmer rejoices in this fact, but the other elephants are subdued and silent without the happy and witty elephant they love. Elmer cannot stand the silence and soon laughs as the rain washes off the berry juice, revealing himself to his herd as he returns back to normal. The herd are delighted to have Elmer back and decide to mark the special occasional with an annual party called Elmer’s Day, when all elephants must decorate themselves and Elmer can paint himself elephant colour.
This is a wonderful book for adults to read to young children and through the bright colours and amusing story McKee cleverly disguises an important issue, that it is OK to be different and unique. The moral of the story teaches young children to be confident with who they are and to view any portrayed differences in a positive light.
The simple text and beautiful illustrations make this book ideal for foundation age children with the moral of the story promoting acceptance for yourself and others. It could be used as a great tool within the classroom to promote inclusion and reduce the idea of bullying among young children, raising questions about feelings, differences and individuality.
This book can be used across the curriculum for KS1. Children can be introduced to colour in art, making decoupage and stain glass elephants, as well as models from playdough and card. These models could then be used to create a classroom jungle to inspire creativity and role play in language and literacy classes. In maths children can learn about patterns and shapes on the elephants and counting and rearranging the elephants in size order
The story is based on Elmer a multicoloured elephant and his feelings towards believing he is segregated from his herd for being a different colour. Whilst his herd comprises elephants of varying ages and sizes, they are “all happy and all the same colour”. Elmer yearns to fit in among the other elephants and is tired of being different. Despite being well liked and the elephant that makes the others smile and happy he is sad to look different and one morning Elmer slips away to seek a means to make himself grey. Covering himself in berry juice from elephant coloured berries found in the jungle, Elmer disguises himself and is thrilled to look like all the other elephants. Returning to his herd Elmer is no longer recognisable to the other elephants. Elmer rejoices in this fact, but the other elephants are subdued and silent without the happy and witty elephant they love. Elmer cannot stand the silence and soon laughs as the rain washes off the berry juice, revealing himself to his herd as he returns back to normal. The herd are delighted to have Elmer back and decide to mark the special occasional with an annual party called Elmer’s Day, when all elephants must decorate themselves and Elmer can paint himself elephant colour.
This is a wonderful book for adults to read to young children and through the bright colours and amusing story McKee cleverly disguises an important issue, that it is OK to be different and unique. The moral of the story teaches young children to be confident with who they are and to view any portrayed differences in a positive light.
The simple text and beautiful illustrations make this book ideal for foundation age children with the moral of the story promoting acceptance for yourself and others. It could be used as a great tool within the classroom to promote inclusion and reduce the idea of bullying among young children, raising questions about feelings, differences and individuality.
This book can be used across the curriculum for KS1. Children can be introduced to colour in art, making decoupage and stain glass elephants, as well as models from playdough and card. These models could then be used to create a classroom jungle to inspire creativity and role play in language and literacy classes. In maths children can learn about patterns and shapes on the elephants and counting and rearranging the elephants in size order