Strictly No Elephants

ABOUT THE BOOK
FAMILY ACTIVITIES

Text: Lisa Mantchev | Illustrations: Taeeun Yoo | Translation to Arabic: Tareq Rajab

On Pet Club Day, cats and dogs and fish are allowed but the sign says “strictly no elephants.” When the club won’t admit a boy’s tiny pet elephant, he finds a solution—one that involves all kinds of unusual animals, just like his friends. In the end, the boy and his tiny pet elephant show them what it means to be a true friend, in a charming book that invites discussion on acceptance of others, friendship and community.

Family Activities

“Elephants are forbidden to enter” says the sign on the door of the club, excluding a number of children who keep unusual domestic animals. But domestic animals come in different shapes, sizes, and moods, just like friends!

Video

Dear Parents,

This nice story allows us to have a dialogue with our child on a range of topics, such as: difference, diversity, exclusion, acceptance, and the support of friends. It is an opportunity to talk with our child about situations in which he or she feels that one of his/her friends is different from other children in kindergarten or elsewhere. How does s/he feel? How can we support them in understanding their difference, in accepting it, and seeing it as a source of strength, not weakness?

Family Activities

While we read the book together, we can look at its drawings. We may stop at pages 6 and 7 and learn about the animals that appear from the windows with their owners. What do the faces of their owners show? And what do the expressions on the face of the child who appeared with his elephant say?
We may want to stop on page 16 and read the letter on the sign aloud. What does this sentence mean? And why are elephants prohibited from entering the club? How does the child and the elephant feel? We may want to encourage our child to think about what he might do next.
Together, we can learn about the animals which appear in the book. Can we keep them all at home? If we were to keep a strange animal at home, which animal would we choose? We may want to draw it.
If we are keeping a pet at home, what do we like about it? What do we like to do with it?
“Because this is what friends do ...” We can chat with our child about their different friends: What does s/he like to do with them? We may want to tell our child about our friends, too. It would be fun if we could invite family friends, of all ages, for a fun activity together.
Our child may want to design a sign that they can hang on the door of their room which welcomes all their friends. Family members may wish to participate in designing a sign at the entrance to the house that welcomes all guests.
In which seasons of the year do the events of the story take place? What do the illustrations tell us about each chapter?
Enjoy your reading!