Elves are the worst! Or are they? Gilbert the goblin sure thinks so. And he spends a great deal of time in Alex Willan’s picture book telling the readers why they should share his opinion.
Even though Gilbert is anti-elf, it’s hard not to like him. He thinks elves are the worst and he doesn’t appreciate the way they hog the holiday spotlight. And on some level, we relate to him a bit. We’ve had the feelings. We get it.
Gilbert: “Now, I know what you’re going to say… Elves are so hardworking and perfect. Ho-Ho-Hogwash!”
Over the next several pages, Gilbert works hard at convincing us to get on board with him. He shares several examples of just how hardworking goblins are, particularly him. And he has plenty to say about how overrated elves are.
Gilbert: “…elves spend all their time hanging out inside trees baking cookies, or pouring bowl after bowl of the world’s loudest cereal, or lounging around all day on various shelves.”
Not to spoil it, but in the end, Gilbert comes around and learns an important lesson about teamwork.
STANDARDS-BASED STORY EXTENSIONS
We definitely think this book deserves a place in your holiday read-aloud stack, so make sure to check out a copy. As you’re reading the story, let the kids linger on the illustrations. There are fun details tucked into the artwork that are important for building comprehension along the way.
After reading Elves Are the Worst, save some time to work through a few literacy standards. We use the ideas in this set with our first and second grade students. It includes opportunities for us to work on strengthening skills such as:
- character development
- sequence of story events
- literal and inferential comprehension
- persuasive writing
We also like this creative writing activity inviting children to imagine applying for a job to work with Santa’s elves. It’s a fun way for kids to think through their own talents and decide how they can contribute to a team of their choice.
Of the six available jobs, it’s always interesting to see what the children choose… sometimes, it’s eye-opening. The students learn a lot about each other by sharing their ideas.
And, because we’re talking about the holidays, we’re also (truthfully) looking for a few activities that might take up a bit of time so we can wrap up some assessments and other things on our teacher to-do lists. So, what does that look like?
A craft. It looks like a craft.
Also, and I think this is important, we shouldn’t apologize for planning art projects. There are so many benefits like encouraging creativity, developing fine motor skills, and following a series of steps, to name a few.
We’ve spent so many years emphasizing “rigor,” we may be losing sight of the fact that we’re working with children who still need space to explore and create to become well-rounded people. (Professional rant over.)
ANOTHER IDEA
If your educational setting doesn’t allow for holiday activities, consider this book instead, YETIS ARE THE WORST. It’s so fun and is similar to Elves Are the Worst, without the context of Christmas. The set also includes comprehension and vocabulary work, as well as options for art projects.👇 Interested in both? Check out the BUNDLE.
Until next time, happy teaching!
