You could probably do an entire storytime about elephants. There are plenty of great books out there, and elephants are great, benign, friendly characters. But I not only have an awesome elephant puppet (with trunk controllable from inside) but also a rhinoceros, so I expanded storytime to include rhinos and hippos too. Why not?

Edward the Elephant and Roger the Rhino introduce themselves first. Edward shows off his trunk and all the great things he can do with it, like spraying water on his back and using it like a straw to put water in his mouth. Roger shows us his horns and we talk about horns vs. trunks. Then, on to the stories!

• Wilson, Karma. Hilda Must Be Dancing. A fun rhyming story with tons of dance vocabulary included. Hilda makes quite a ruckus with her dancing, and while the other animals are bothered, they never berate her or tell her to stop – they just help her find a quieter hobby.
• Na, Il Sung. Thingamabob. When elephant finds a thingamabob, he is unsure what to do with it, until it rains. The young listeners, of course, knew immediately that the thingamabob was an umbrella.
• Flannelboard: 1 Elephant Went Out to Play (aka last week’s Flannel Friday!)

• Willems, Mo. I Am Going! Really, any Elephant and Piggie book would work. This just happens to be one I haven’t read to my groups yet. Gerald (aka Elephant) gets very upset when he finds out Piggie is going. Couldn’t Piggie go tomorrow? Or next week? Actually, no, since Piggie is only going to lunch.
• It’s fun to say this chanting rhyme a few times, and then practice talking with a “squished” face. Pretty silly!

(we clap or tap out a beat):

A hip, a hip, a hippopotamus,

Got on, got on, got on a city bus,

And all, and all, and all the people said…

“You’re squishing me!” (squish cheeks together with hands)

• Shea, Bob. Oh, Daddy! Little Hippo has to show his Daddy how to to lots of things, like eat carrots, get dressed, and give hugs. Where would Daddy be without him?

Other great grey animal titles:

• Rubinger, Ami. I Dream of an Elephant. Color rhymes!
• Dunbar, Polly. Where’s Tumpty? Tumpty the elephant is not the best at hiding his bulk. But he tries. And finally, succeeds.
• Newman, Jeff. Hippo! No, Rhino! Confusion reigns at the zoo.
• Polacco, Patricia. Emma Kate. Who’s imaginary?
• Bunting, Eve. Tweak Tweak. Little elephant learns what he can do.
• Arnold, Katya. Elephants Can Paint Too. Elephants and boys and girls take an art class (and paint remarkably similar things!). A true story!
• Chivers, Natalie. Rhino’s Great Big Itch. The smallest animal may be the best one to help Rhino get rid of his BIG itch.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go ride a bus. I hope no hippos try and get on.

Tags: Animals, Bob Shea, elephants, flannelboards, Grey, Hippos, Karma Wilson, Rhinos, rhymes