For all you folks who want a fabulous way to spend a hot July day… consider this: http://www.thewritersplot.com/ I’ve posted some of the info from their website below (hope that’s okay, Pam!) and I hope some of you can go. I want to hear Harold Underdown speak so badly! He is a fab presence on [...]
*Picture book for preschoolers (However, this can be used with elementary students during a poetry unit.)
*Young boy as main character
*Rating: Red Sled is a clever book about a night time sled ride for a boy and his dad. Not to mention, there’s wonderfully bright illustrations!
Short, short summary: A sad lad and a sad dad take a red sled down a hill of freshly fallen snow one night. They have a ton of fun until–oops, crash! But falling in the snow is not so bad. When they go home to warm up, they are no longer sad, and now they are glad lad and glad dad. This book may sound simple, but it really is not! Patricia Thomas wrote Red Sled in the form of a chiasmus (ky-AZ-mus). This is a type of ancient writing. Here’s what she says in the back of her book: “This format creates a kind of mirror image, with thoughts, words, or even word sounds flowing toward a center point, then reversing to reflect that order as it reaches the end.” She, then, shows the reader in the author’s note the form of a chiasmus, using her Red Sled book. Very cool!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. The most obvious thing is to write a chiasmus, either as a whole class in a shared writing lesson or individually for older students. This will NOT be easy for anyone, so take your time, have fun, and play around with rhyme and the English language. Pick an easy, well-known, action-filled subject such as Patricia Thomas did.
2. Ask students to write or draw about a time when they went on a sled ride. If you live somewhere with no snow or sledding, then you can ask children to make up a story about sled riding, based on the book Red Sled.
3. This is a great book for oral reading, listening to rhymes, text patterns, and noticing the rhythm to language. Students could actually read this book with teachers because the text is large, or they could repeat after the teacher or parent. A really fun part to read with children is when the dad and boy are on the sled, and the text says, “Go! Go! No! No! Whoa! Whoa! Flip-flop stop.” Have fun with this book!
"Stand back," said the elephant,
"I'm going to sneeze!
I hate to alarm you,
But I don't wish to harm you.
My friends, I fear
It's clear....
Oh, dear,
You'd better stand back, I'm going to sneeze."
Overview:
The animals are much distressed to hear the elephant's warning that a sneeze is imminent. They entreat him not to do it, reminding him of what happened to each of them the last time he let a sneeze go. Though he is sympathetic to their plight, it doesn't seem to be working, and the elephant is nearly ready to sneeze. But then that age-old and unlikely elephant nemesis, the mouse, manages to stop the elephant's sneeze! The elephant is so amazed, he starts to laugh, and laugh and laugh...and when he does...look out!
For Teachers and Librarians:
Your young charges will delight in the silly situations, colorful illustrations, and charming rhymes in "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" It is a great addition to a poetry unit, a fun aside to an animals unit, and a much-requested storytime staple. Compare and contrast animal groups and their characteristics, let them find and list rhyming words from the text, do a class read-aloud and let the children chime in on favorite parts. Have them come up with animals not in the book, and let them work in groups to write rhymes and illustrate how the elephant's sneeze would affect the new animals. But above all, have fun, fun, fun reading this book!
For Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers:
"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" is one fun book! Be prepared for your little ones to ask you to read this one over and over and over. Flowing rhymes, funny, colorful pictures, and a great story make this a book that has endeared itself to readers since 1971, and continues to do so - as you will soon find out once you introduce your small fries to it. Don't be surprised if they pull it out of your hands, and take over on their own.
For the Kids:
Did you ever wonder what would happen when an elephant sneezed? Well, if you read, "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" or have someone read it to you, you can find out. Here's a hint: bald bears, flying feathers, missing stripes and spots, and...well, you'd better get that book so you can see for yourself!
For Everyone Else:
If you were a tyke starting in the early 1970's, "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" may well be one of your most beloved books of the time. If you had tykes back then (kiddos or grands), you may remember the smiles and giggles this book brought to your little lovelies. If you're not any of those, get yourself a copy of this book, and see what all the fuss has been about. Then, make sure you get it into the hands of a little one you know. They will be forever grateful.
Wrapping Up:
"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" is a true giggle-fest, and an enduring children's book classic. Find a copy, get reading, and join in the fun.
Title: "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"Author: Patricia Thomas
Illustrator: Wallace Tripp
Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Publisher and Date: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, 1990
Edition: Second
Language: English
Published In: United States
Price: $16.99
ISBN (trade): 0688093388
ISBN (library): 0688093396
It is a writer's dream: Patricia Thomas' first published children's book - "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" (1971) - has never gone out of print.
Raised on a small farm outside Grove City in western Pennsylvania, Mrs. Thomas' school teacher parents instilled in her a love of reading, and a curiosity about the world. She says,
"As a writer, you cannot afford not to be interested in everything. Because you write from total life experience. You don't know when you're going to pull something out of life experience."
After graduating from Penn State University with a BS in Journalism, Radio and Home Economics, she and her husband Edward (now deceased) moved to Philadelphia, where she worked as an ad copywriter for department stores. Later, they moved to Brigantine, NJ, where she wrote copy for Spencer's Gifts and began making up bedtime stories for her children.
It was from those bedtime stories that Mrs. Thomas' first manuscript had its roots: "A Horse of a Different Color." When publishers didn't bite on it, she kept trying, and was rewarded when "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" was published by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard in 1971. Since then, she has gone on to write several other books, as well as hundreds of articles and stories for children.
Patricia Thomas is a senior writer and editor in the communications and marketing department of Marywood University, and teaches classes through the Institute of Children's Literature. She lives in Carbondale, PA, and has 4 children, 14 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.
Sources:Book jacket blurb on "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" By
Patricia Thomas
By: Kim Wheedleton,
on 11/23/2008
"Stand back," said the elephant,
It is a writer's dream: Patricia Thomas' first published children's book - "Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!" (1971) - has never gone out of print. 
glad you posted this and shared it on the list serve. Hope you can make it! Both Jean and I are driving down Friday night (I’m staying over on Saturday too) so you could catch a ride with one of us and go back with jean. Maybe you could find someone to share a room with too.
If my hubby has to work that weekend, I will prob just be at the conference for the day (travel down and back same day). But If he does NOT have to work, we will be celebrating our 17 year anniversary with our kiddos by camping that weekend. So, I am waiting to see what happens with his work before I can make plans.
If I get to go, I will be ecstatic!
But If I get to go camping and celebrate with my sweet kiddos and hubby… I’ll be over the moon!
p.s. Carol – I was so glad to see you posted this to the yahoo group! I received an email about it weeks ago and mean to share. Your post jiggled my brain to do what I shoud have done a while back!
Congratulations on 17 years, Donna and Sean!
I hope you’ll get to go and celebrate your anniversary! Sounds wonderful …
I do, too. We’ll see what’s happening that weekend with the weather. I want the kids to enjoy our time together and not feel like they are in an oven the whole time. Ya know?