Elephants Cannot Dance! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) (An Elephant and Piggie Book, 9)

Cute! Elephant and Piggie are wonderful friends, and even when they get frustrated with each other, they still maintain that friendship. Piggie *really* wants to teach Gerald how to dance (she's dressed as a ballerina), but he simply cannot follow her instructions, and sadly repeats that "elephants

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just cannot dance." But when two squirrels come along asking to be taught "The Elephant," everyone cheers up!

Charming and funny!

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This book is about an elephant named Gerald and a piggy. She tries to teach Gerald how to dance but he is very careful unlike piggy. Gerald ends up teaching Piggy a more important lesson in the end.

In this book, Piggie is trying to teach Elephant how to dance, but it does not seem to be working. Elephant cannot follow directions. Then, squirrel comes along and says that elephants was actually really good, even though he didn't follow the directions. The message is that even though the

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elephant was about to give up, he got another point of view and succeeded.

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I loved this book. I think Mo Willems is one of the best children book's writers out there. I am really happy I was able to discover him this through this class. This book is one in a series about Elephant and Piggie, and the funny things they do. In this book Elephant say he can't dance, but

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Piggie tries to teach him. Just when it looks like he really can't dance two squirrels appear and say they want to learn "the elephant" dance. It's a cute story that shows kids that even if they think they can't do things in their own way and succeed.

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A pig attempts to teach Gerald, the Elephant how to dance even though Gerald already has the conception that elephants cannot dance. He tries his best and continues to struggle, until he finally gives up. At the end, when Gerald thinks all hope is gone, more friends come to learn the new "elephant

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dance". This text would be very influential with young readers because it is very simple text and it has very repetitive sentences so it will really allow young readers to reinforce and increase their reading skills.

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As Piggie tries to teach her friend, Gerald, to dance, he doubts his ability because he is an elephant. He struggles with the moves, and he just can’t seem to dance like Piggie. Frustrated, Gerald gives up. Then his confidence is lifted as he discovers that he had created his own style of

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dancing. Now his friends want to learn to dance like him!

As a former member of a dance team, I know how hard it can be to dance just like your friend. I also learned that everyone brings their own unique style to the team, making it interesting and dynamic. I’ve struggled with low self-esteem, in the past, so I love how Gerald embraces his individuality and his friends accept him for it. I can relate to him in this way.

This book can be used in the classroom to promote two main concepts. I would read it to a class to instill confidence in the students, teaching them to accept themselves and others for their differences. When a student is being bullied or outcast, this is an ideal book to read to the class, upon observation. A second concept promoted is perseverance. If students are feeling overwhelmed, reading this book can help them learn to keep trying and never give up. I would read it around test time, when some children start to lose confidence in their work and want to give up.

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This book is a simple one to introduce for fluency. It forces the children to speak for each character. They learn how to use speech bubbles and what they mean. Gerald and Piggie try to learn how to dance.

Despite his well-founded misgivings about an elephant’s abilities to dance, Gerald allows his friend Piggie to try to teach him. Mo Willems’ characteristically simple illustrations use soft colors, have minimal – if any – shading, and retain a pencil-like outline. This style of illustration

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promotes an intimacy with the reader, as if Willems had just dashed off the story minutes before in the same room. Despite their simplistic nature, the illustrations are packed with action and emotion. Gerald’s consternation and determination scream off the page through set eyebrows and repetition of “We will try again.” The lack of background detail also helps the reader to focus on the action between Gerald and Piggie.

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Great for a read aloud, funny.

Retelling: When Piggy tries to teach Gerald how to dance he runs into a problem. Gerald does not believe he can do it. When Piggy convinces him to try, Gerald puts his full effort into the task. The problem is, Gerald isn't very good at following Piggy's directions. In fact, he does the opposite of

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whatever Piggy tells him to do. Gerald becomes frustrated and is about to give up when two squirrels make Gerald and Piggy realize something they were missing all along.

Thoughts and Feelings: To me, this book is about all the imaginary limitations human beings put on themselves when they tell themselves they can't do something. Whenever I say to myself "I can't..." I try to put the words "yet but if I" at the end to leave the possibility open. For example, "I can't speak Farsi yet, but if I concentrate on learning one word at a time and practice every day, I will improve." In Gerald's case, he can't dance like piggy yet, but he can dance like Gerald, and that's fun too!

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Piggie loves to dance. Gerald would love to dance but everyone knows Elephants can't dance. Piggie tries to teach him but with no luck. But it appears that in the end everyone gets to dance anyway.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends. Piggie tries to teach Gerald some new moves. I enjoyed this series when I was young. The books are humorous.

The adventure of an elephant who believes that he cannot dance (in fact it is in the elephant handbook) and his supportive friend Piggy that is attempting to teach him that he can at least try to dance. This book touches on many opposites as well as common dance moves that most children will learn

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and love. With determination and some frustration Elephant learns that there is no specific way to dance but that it is all based on how you move.

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Elephants Cannot Dance! by Mo Willems is the ninth in the Elephant and Piggie series. Piggie has taken up dance and tries to get Gerald to join her. He, though, is convinced that elephants can't dance. His efforts to join in seem to bear out his observation.

What mostly happens is that Gerald zigs

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when Piggie zags. I wonder if Gerald (or Piggie) is left handed (and footed) and the other isn't. Or perhaps, Gerald is dyslexic. Whatever is the cause of his inability to learn the moves is never revealed.

Since my daughter loves to dance and has been in two recitals, I expected her to love Elephants Cannot Dance! She didn't. If anything, she found the book confusing. There's a lot of dance humor that just went over her head.

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A beautiful book with very attractive for young children illustrations. Teaching has a message of friendship

Have I mentioned that I love Mo Willems, Elephant and Piggie, and dance... anyone who views my library can tell. This Elephant and Piggie book is one of my favorites, obviously because of the dance element. This book is great for all children because kids love to focus on what they can't do... but

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kids can do anything and they need to see that. Elephant and Piggie books are full of the classic life lessons all kids need and the use of fairly gender neutral animals, and animals with no people makes them applicable to all audiences.

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This one just didn't do quite as much for me as most of the other E&P stories. But I think it's me, because even before I became disabled and unable to jump, I couldn't dance, no matter how I tried. I still think it's adorable and a worthy addition to the series.

Used this week as a read aloud to encourage trying a new skill during 'Mastery' time at camp.
I might use it for motivation or prediction.