In this book by Mo Willems, Piggy and Elephant are about to start a game of catch, when their friend Snake asks “Can I play, too?” Both are puzzled by the request because Snake has no arms. But the three friends try hard to find a way to include everyone in the game. After trying different solutions, poor Snake is about to give up, saying “Well, I guess I can’t play after all”. This is a wonderful read-aloud book with very funny illustrations.
Discussion Questions
- Why is Snake so sad?
- What made it hard for Snake to play catch?
- How do we know that Elephant and Piggy wanted Snake to play with them?
- How did Elephant and Piggy solve the problem?
- Have you ever had to think of a new way to do something so that a friend could play with you?
- What can you do if someone asks, “Can I play too?” at recess?
- Select a few pages and focus on Elephant and Piggy’s facial expressions. What do you think they’re feeling?
Activities
- Give each student a piece of paper folded into 4 squares. In each square, students write or draw:
- 1) something they observed in the book
- 2) something they wondered about
- 3) a sensory description – smell, touch, etc.
- 4) how the story is like something they did or that happened to them.
Allow time for all to share if they choose.
- Let small groups of children act out parts of the book for the class.
- In an open space, explore different ways to play that are inclusive of all abilities. For example, how could you play with a ball without using your hands? Without using your feet? How can changing the rules help more people participate?