Strictly No Elephants
“‘Come along,’ I say, making certain that my tiny elephant follows me. Because that’s what friends do: never leave anyone behind.”
“Strictly No Elephants,” by Lisa Mantchev is a great book for examining the purpose of rules and exploring how rules can make us feel.
We appreciate this book for pointing out that some rules are meant to be broken - especially when those rules are meant to EXCLUDE and HURT.
When one group of children tries to ban another because of their not-so-ordinary pets, our protagonist takes the initiative to re-write the rules to make sure everyone felt welcome.
We love that this book empowers children to manifest change and to actively resist unkind behavior. Simply put, this book rules!
Some things to think about…
If you could have any kind of animal for a pet, what would you choose and why?
Have you ever felt left out before? How did that make you feel? What would you do to make sure no one else felt that way?
Activity idea: Work with a group of friends or family member to come up with your own rules. Place them someplace where everyone can see. How can your rules make sure everyone feels welcome?
Illustration by Taeeun Yoo
