The Slightly Annoying Elephant

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What’s big, blue, bossy, and turns up uninvited? A slightly annoying elephant, of course! Introducing a magnificently warm and funny picture book from two remarkable talents. Adopt your copy today!

Teaching Ideas and Resources:

English

• Imagine that an elephant came to live at your house. What would your life be like?
• Retell the story from Sam’s point of view (or from the elephant’s).
• Read the story and find all of the words that the author has used to describe the elephant (e.g. gigantic, annoying).
• Find the synonyms for ‘said’ that the author has used throughout the text (e.g. boomed, spluttered).
• Write a prequel for the story, which explains where the elephant lived before he arrived at Sam’s house.
• Write a sequel for the story. What happens next?
• Write an alternative version of the story in which Sam adopts a different animal.
• Write an alternative version of the story in which Sam has adopted a slightly NERVOUS elephant or a slightly ARTISTIC elephant.
• Write a letter from Sam to the zoo that explains what has happened. Can you write the reply from the zoo?
• Imagine the conversation that Sam will have with his mum when she arrives home.
• Write a set of instructions to help others look after the elephant in the story.
• Create a newspaper report about the elephant who won the Tour de France.
• Children at Broadford Primary have recorded their own retelling of the story. Could you make your own?

Maths

• Write a timetable that shows the events that took place on the day that the elephant arrived at Sam’s house.

Science

• Find out about elephants. Where do they live? What do they eat?
• Plan a healthy meal that the slightly annoying elephant might enjoy.

Computing

• Look at this video that shows the eBook edition of the story. Could you plan the features of an eBook for a different story?

Art

• Draw some pictures of an elephant, looking at photos to help (see Resources below).
• The illustrations show an elephant doing some very unusual things (e.g. taking a bath, flying on a plane). Can you create your own unusual pictures of animals?
• Draw some illustrations that show Sam’s house before and after the elephant came to live with him.

Physical education

• Plan an exercise routine that might help the elephant to ‘lose a few pounds’.

Languages

• Can you find the translation for elephant in different languages?

PSHE

• How would Sam have felt when an elephant first arrived on his doorstep?

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