Peel,
the Extraordinary Elephant
Pilón, el Extraordinario Elefantón (Spanish edition)
Author:
Susan Joyce ~ Illustrator: Doug DuBosque
ISBN 0-939217-01-5
Spanish
edition translated by Aída Marcuse
A young elephant wanders from his herd and meets other animals, learning from each a lesson about the importance of learning, growing, and sharing. "The secret is remembering it all, learning from the good times and the bad." Told in six rhyming chapters, the story includes a catchy song (score printed at the end of the book).
Peel meets the fish: "Courage is what you really need - with courage you can't fail."
Peel meets the owl: "A who, not a what, is important to be - a name of your own makes you special, you see?"
Text copyright©1985 Susan Joyce - illustrations copyright©1985 Douglas C. Dubosque
It is one of the best children's books out there! I am 18 years old now, but I read this book when I was in the 1st grade. I remember the first time I read it like it was yesterday. It was funny, and very cute. This book is one of the few that I remember reading at that age. It really made an impression on me.
--Amazon.com review
Guaranteed to become a family classic.
-- Maine Times-Record
A charmingly illustrated children's book with a rhyming text that really works -- a pleasure to read aloud, even for parents who don't consider themselves gifted in this regard.
-- Focus on Books
If you work with children, Peel is a book you need to know about -- it's full of insights into how children (and adults!) learn.
-- Douglas Lamoreaux, PhD, Pacific Lutheran University
Kids will find this fun, with morals and lessons subtly concealed in an engaging plot…highly recommended.
-- Midwest Book Review
Charming story with a universal lesson…rhyming words that tickle the tongue.
-- Viterbo College Children's Literature Program
Recommended…delightful picture book story in rhyme.
-- Montgomery County, MD Public Schools
Teaching activities for Peel, the Extraordinary Elephant
by Susan Joyce. Illustrations by Doug DuBosque
Peel is a young elephant who wanders from his herd. He learns how he's unique, what he has to share and what he has to learn from creatures he meets as he travels. Read-along cassette is available direct from the publisher only. Also available in Spanish, in rhyme: Pilón, el Extraordinario Elefantón (ISBN 0-939217-05-8)
Chapters and titles...
This book contains six chapters. Each chapter also has a title. Is
the author's book (or chapter) title a good one? Why? Why not? Can you
suggest a better one?
Write an Extraordinary Poem...
What does extraordinary mean? Encourage students to identify an extraordinary
quality or talent in themselves and share it with the group. List the
different qualities. Have students write a poem: "I am extraordinary because..."
Research names...
Peel means elephant in the Hebrew language, and -- written in Hebrew
-- looks like an elephant head. What does peel mean in English? What do
other names mean? In English? In other languages? Why are names given?
Have students research their names (dictionary, books on names, encyclopedia,
parents) and share with the class their discoveries -- origin, choice,
and meaning.
Create a Collage...
Peel, a sensitive elephant, has many different feelings...Chapter
Six: "Sometimes he felt lonely, sometimes he felt sad. But when Peel sang
his song, he always felt glad." Choose a feeling expressed in Peel, the
Extraordinary Elephant. Have students share an experience in which they,
too, felt that way. Have students illustrate the feeling in a drawing.
Create a collage of the work.
Sing...
Introduce Peel's song. Have students change the word "elephant" to
their name to make it their very own song. Example: A Rachel won't forget
you....
Act it out... Peel learns to swim from a fish. What is it like, learning to swim? Every day, we learn new things. Have students act out or write about something new he or she has learned to do.
Share dreams...
The idea for Peel, the Extraordinary Elephant came to author Susan
Joyce in a dream. Ask students if they have ever had a wild, wonderful
dream? Or a dream with a message? Share dreams and create stories and
drawings based on dreams. (This could be the beginning of a great book!)
copyright © 1997 Susan Joyce DuBosque