Elmer: 30th Anniversary Edition: 1 (Elmer Picture Books)

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In the book, the elephants only laugh when Elmer is around; in a sense, they rely upon him. It’s unclear, however, if Elmer is obligated to fulfill this specific role of the jokester. Some argue that the assumption of obligation relies upon some sort of contract or promise. A police officer, for example, swears to serve their community. Though Elmer did not agree to entertain the other elephants, it would be fruitful to explore the relationship between promises and obligation. If Elmer had promised to be the community jokester but then realized he really didn’t want to, or even couldn’t, would it be OK for him to stop? Questions for Philosophical Discussion Differences and Friendship Surely, however, friends do not try to resolve all their differences. You might appreciate your friend’s musical talent, for example, but feel no inclination to imitate it. As such, you might ask students why they look up to their friends, and, subsequently, which qualities they would like to adopt for themselves. As an extension of this line of inquiry, one might ask if being friends with somebody changes who you are. Use the ‘Elephant Expressions’ sheet (see Resources below) to investigate different emotions and how these are expressed.

From the start of this first story, the message is clear. Elmer is different, but he is accepted and valued just the way he is. He is unique and has a special talent to make everyone happy. When he alters his appearance and no longer looks like himself, he is ignored by his friends. He experiences what it feels like to be treated like an outcast, and to be ostracised by his old friends. In this book children may begin to think of the value of friendship and family, identity and diversity, as well as being true to oneself. When Elmer’s true colours are revealed, his friends are surprised and delighted. They much prefer his multicoloured and fun loving persona, and reassure Elmer that they love him because of his differences, and not in spite of them.Do you ever do things with your friends only they want to do? Do they do things with you only you want to do? Lo que me ha gustado de la novela es que a pesar de lo que pueda parecer en la sinopsis, Elmer no es repudiado o discriminado por los demás elefantes como pasa, por ejemplo, en El patito feo. Él simplemente es distinto a los demás pero se llevan todos muy bien y se divierten con sus locuras. In today’s world, it has become less common to know your neighbours and talk to people in your community, or on the street. When Elmer passes through the jungle, his distinctiveness means all of the animals in the jungle know him by name, and say hello when he passes by. Visual Closure is the ability to fill in parts of a form in the mind’s eye to determine shape or a whole object. Filling in the missing parts of our Elmer works on this area.

Decorate an elephant for Elmer Day using unusual shapes, patterns and colours (see Resources below). Visual Discrimination is determining differences in color, form, size, shape…Finding different sized squares to fit into the outline of our Elmer, discriminating the different colors, and shapes are a great way to work on this area. When Elmer decides to disguise his patchwork, he roves in the jungle until he finds a bush of elephant-colour berries to paint himself with. An excellent example of foraging for local natural resources!Elmer was first published by Dobson Books in 1968, and re-issued with re-drawn illustrations in a slightly shortened version by Andersen Press in 1989. [1] It was inspired by the mascot of the Bordeaux zoo (which closed in 1974) in France. The books are published in the United Kingdom by Andersen Press and were published in the United States by HarperCollins originally, Andersen press USA now publishes in America. Forty-one book titles have been created since 1989, and the series has sold more than eight million copies in fifty languages around the world. Satoshi Kitamura carried out the Japanese translation. In this book, you’ll find therapist-approved resources, activities, crafts, projects, and play ideas based on 10 popular children’s books. Each book covered contains activities designed to develop fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sensory exploration, handwriting, and more. Help kids understand complex topics of social/emotional skills, empathy, compassion, and friendship through books and hands-on play. Use the message template and help your child write a message to Elmer from the other elephants. Talk about what they might want to say to him letting them choose their own message. Children might want to say for example that they like him just the way he is or that they find him really funny. Design a colourful elephant If you had a friend who was really funny but wanted to be more serious, would you still be friends with them? In Elmer, Elmer, the patchwork elephant, enjoys the role of being the clown of the elephant herd. All the other elephants laugh at his jokes and enjoy the games that he comes up with. But one day, Elmer stops having fun playing with the other elephants and decides to leave. Elmer raises questions about the value of diversity between friends and in communities, as well as the nature of social roles and whether or not you can decide to accept or abandon them. Differences and Friendship

Kids can trace their bodies with large pieces of paper and then fill the space with colorful paper squares to celebrate uniqueness in this Elmer the Elephant preschool activity. Teach Acceptance, Differences, and Diversity Se pinta todo el cuerpo con una fruta que finalmente lo termina dejando color elefante y así camuflado se mete entre sus amigos sin que nadie lo reconozca y cuando nadie se lo espera...¡Los asusta! Look at the illustrations in the book and think of speech / thought bubbles for the elephants and other animals.Elmer is an elephant with a patchwork body of a variety of colours. He is a cheerful and optimistic character. However, when Elmer changes his appearance to fit in to his surroundings he is no longer recognisable by the other elephants. Of course this makes Elmer sad that he is no longer accepted and begins to understand how it feels to be treated like an outsider. When it rains, the grey paint which Elmer had covered himself with is washed away and his 'true colours' are once more revealed. To the joy of the group Elmer realises that it is his differences which make him who he is.