Elmer
- Author: David McKee | Age: 3+ years
Elmer stands out from the elephant herd as he is not grey but a patchwork of colours. He is the one who makes all the other elephants laugh and even when he is sick of being different and colours himself grey, the other elephants eventually recognize him because he makes them laugh.
Celebrating difference and reminding us that we are happiest in our own skin, this story can help strengthen children’s confidence and acceptance of differences and is also a great starting point to discuss the role of colour and camouflage in the animal world. What colour are elephants? How does this colour help elephants in their daily lives? Are there any animals as colourful as Elmer? How do these animals differ from elephants? Is it useful for them to be colourful? Can some animals change colour? At what times do animals want to blend in with their environment?
With our book recommendations, we want to spark an interest in children to discover STEM in their everyday lives. Most books go beyond the obvious STEM connections and can be a great starting point for exploring children’s questions and ideas further.
Learn more: Book a STEM workshop.
Article Author: Kerstin Johnson
Content Editor & Resources Developer
Kerstin is our editor and looks after all the content at Little Scientists. Her aim is to make everything as engaging and user-friendly as possible for workshop participants.
