Book Review
by Ashley Beecher
The Trouble With Elephants is a sweet book that talks about both the good and the bad parts of having an elephant. The author, Chris Riddell, creates an imaginative set of habits for a pet elephant that causes the elephant’s owner all kinds of trouble. Their antics will have kids giggling with glee.
The copy of this book that I read to my children is the same copy that my mom read to me as a little girl. I always love sharing my favorite childhood stories with my kids and there are two concepts in this one that I love to see as a mom. First, the story teaches children that love is not dependent on good behavior: the little girl loves her elephant even when it gets into trouble. Second, the illustrations provide lots of opportunities to discuss cause and effect, which is such an important concept for children to know.
So overall, it’s a delightful story to read together with a sweet ending.
This one is older and can be harder to find, but I did track down a few copies on Amazon here, or you can check a used bookstore or ebay.
For a good read-aloud, listen here.
Activity
Show love for yourself as you are by making a heart that includes your strengths and weaknesses.
Supplies:
Activity templates (see below), construction paper, scissors, glue or tape, writing utensil of choice.
Directions:
- Cut out the heart template and the words.
- Use the heart template to trace two hearts onto a piece of construction paper (the heart will fit on an 8.5 by 11 page twice with the point at opposite corners). Cut each heart out.
- Glue the words onto one of the hearts.
- Attach the heart with the words to the top of the blank heart using glue or tape on the very top. The top heart should fold open, like a greeting card that opens upward.
- Using the provided sentence templates, make two short lists: one of things you are good at and one of things that you struggle with.
- Cut your lists into strips and glue the strips to the interior of the heart.
Different Variations:
- For Older Children: Inside of cutting out the words for the top heart, let your child write the words. They can also write their own sentences about what they are good at and what they struggle with, using the blank template provided.
- For the Youngest: If your child can't write yet, ask them what they are good at and write their answers on the line for them.
Author: Ashley Beecher
Ashley is a mom, writer, reader, and board game enthusiast. She loves sharing her interests with her husband and two children, as well as encouraging them to pursue their own hobbies. She hopes to teach her kids to chase their dreams and do what they love (but in a realistic, quantifiable kind of way).