I Did See a Mammoth!
As part of a group on an expedition to look for penguins in the Antarctic, this book’s main character is instead bundled up and eager to spot the legendary woolly mammoth. Although these ancient relatives of elephants are believed to be extinct (as shared in a facts page at the end of the story), readers will share the excitement when a tutu-wearing, skateboarding mammoth enters the picture. Young readers will enjoy chiming in the repetitive shout of “Mammoth!” and the earnest pleas of the young child to the adults in the group, insisting that there are indeed more than penguins on this icy terrain. The detailed illustrations offer engaging talking points, and the humorous reactions of the offended penguins, upset that the main character is more interested in mammoths, add an amusing touch. The unexpected twist at the end will assure readers that this young explorer was telling the truth and was not just crying “mammoth.”
Pennsylvania Center for the Book Awards
Book Activities & Discussion Ideas
Before reading, obtain photographs of elephants and wooly mammoths. Show children pictures of each of them comparing their similarities and differences. Tell children that woolly mammoths are ancient relatives of today’s elephants. Introduce the term "extinction," clarifying that it means no longer in existence, and use dinosaurs as an example of animals that are extinct. This introduction to the story provides the children with prior knowledge to enjoy this humorous story even more. In another reading of the story, children can spend time looking at the double-page spreads with the hundreds of penguins and search for other fantastical happenings. For example, the penguins with fishing poles, the penguins making snowmen and so on. The book would lend itself well to a game of “I Spy.”
Humorous stories are always a joy for children to listen to—this silly book about a skateboarding mammoth is just such a book. There is built-in suspense. The suspense is enhanced by dramatic pauses and using your voice to exaggerate the excitement, for example when a mammoth appears! A funny story like I Did See a Mammoth will help children develop positive feelings about books and pleasure reading.