How to Find an Elephant by Kate Banks and pictures by Boris Kulikov is a delightful picture book for young explorers, between the ages of 3 and 6. The artwork is a game all on its own: hide and seek in a book! Let’s so exploring and have some fun!
Activating Schema:
- This book would be best read on a dull, gray day, but not necessarily rainy.
- Talk to your child about wild animals; for example, what do they eat.
- Think about what kinds of equipment you would bring, gather stuffed animals and toys that related to an adventure in the wild!
During Reading:
- Let your child notice what is hiding in the illustration independently.
- Do ask them questions, for example, “Do you think the boy will see an elephant from the top of the nearest tree?”
- Ask your child to point out what animals they see at the watering hole.
After Reading:
- Go back and look at the illustrations. Find the elephants.
- Listen to flute music.
- Talk about the bests parts of the book!
This book provides so many opportunities for an enriched reading experience!
1. Good readers create pictures in their imagination as they read. To develop this ability in your child, play the game Guess What I have a Picture Of. You think of an animal to describe to your little one. Describe it by colour, where it lives, what size it is, and any other details that will help your child create the animal in his or her imagination. As you are describing the animal, encourage guesses.
2. Play your own game of Hide and Seek. You could also hide a stuffed elephant around the house and go on an adventure together.
3. Introduce the game Warmer/Colder. Ask your child to be the hunter. Tell him or her to close their eyes and that you are going to hide a stuffed animal for him or her to “hunt” for. As he or she is looking for the animal, you will use the word warmer as they get closer to finding it. You will say colder if they move away. Hot and hotter will be used if they are incredibly close.
4. The ability to retell stories is also an important part of understanding what you read. Have your child draw and colour his or her favourite part of the story.
5. Introduce your child to binoculars.
6. Have pizza for supper and remind your child that pizza is not suitable for elephants!
