If an Elephant Went to School

PreS-Gr 1—What would an elephant learn at school? "The ABCs? NO WAY! An elephant would learn to use her trunk as…a nose, a straw, a hand, and a hose!" What about an owl? Would he learn how to count to 100? "I DON'T THINK SO." He would learn to clean and groom his feathers with his beak. So goes the pattern for these potential animal pupils—including a zebra, a frog, an eel, a bee, a skunk, a caterpillar, and a platypus. The book offers up some human classroom activities and then explains the kinds of behaviors and actions animals might learn in a classroom setting. Last up is a boy. When he thinks about what he might learn at school, he suggests the intriguing possibility of changing colors like a chameleon. His horrified teacher and classmates shout "NO WAY!" and the child agreeably acknowledges that he will learn to "read, write, share, and make friends." The simple patterned question-and-answer text invites audience participation, and the engaging soft-toned cartoon art is mildly amusing and perfect for group sharing.