Yetis are the worst! Or are they? At the beginning of this story, Gilbert the goblin certainly thinks so. And he’s on a mission to convince the reader to have the same opinion.
Alex Willan’s picture book starts out with Gilbert making the case for goblins being mysterious … a trait Gilbert seems very serious about having.
Gilbert: “Did you know that we goblins can be quite secretive? We lurk in the shadows… we pop up in unexpected places… and we are masters of disguise! And yet people seem to be intrigued by one curious creature more than any other… yetis!”
He goes on to say plenty of other things are just as mysterious like the Tooth Fairy, gnomes, and peanut butter and banana sandwiches. “Why are they so tasty?” he wonders.
So Gilbert sets out, armed with a camera, to prove that yetis aren’t that mysterious…
“The only reason that people people think yetis are mysterious is because no one has ever seen one. So that’s what I am going to do. I am going to find a yeti and take their picture, thus proving that there’s nothing mysterious about these fluffy, mountain-dwelling behemoths.”
You’ll have to check out a copy of the book to find out what happens. As you’re reading the story aloud, let kids linger on the illustrations for a bit. There are fun details tucked into the artwork that are important for building comprehension along the way.
STANDARDS-BASED STORY EXTENSIONS
Of course, by the end, Gilbert realizes maybe yetis aren’t actually the worst. But how did he arrive at that opinion? What changed his mind? And, maybe most importantly, what was at the root of Gilbert’s initial opinion? Hidden among the humor, there are some life lessons in this book and it’s pretty easy to get the conversation going with questions like these.
When you’re ready for your students to put their thoughts on paper, try these written response sheets.👇 There are several, giving children an opportunity to reflect about the characters, infer motives, and share their own opinions.
Also, throughout the book, the author uses vocabulary that’s unfamiliar to most kids at this age. (I mean, honestly, I didn’t know what behemoth meant until I was an adult.) We’ve plucked a few of our favorite words from the text for students to focus on.👇
We like this format and have been using it a lot lately. In one sheet, the children are revisiting the vocabulary word in context, determining its part of speech, learning synonyms for it, and using phonics skills to make new words from the letters in the whole word.
LAST, BUT NOT LEAST… ART
Who doesn’t love a fun directed drawing? From the students’ point of view, they get excited learning how to draw something new and doing it over and over. (Do yours do that, too?) From the teacher’s point of view, the kids are developing active listening skills, following procedural directions, and fine tuning motor movements. It’s a win-win.
In this set, we’ve included a simple 6-step directed drawing of a yeti. As a second option, we also provided pattern pieces for students to cut and glue together. This option takes a little longer, but if your kids need to improve their scissor skills, it’s a really cute one to add to your plans.👇
Either way, you can’t go wrong. They’re both adorable… especially once the kids add their own special twist. The variety in the finished products can be a little hilarious.
If you know, you know.
ARE YETIS THE WORST?
Maybe. But did you know Alex Willan has more books in this series? Yetis Are the Worst is just one in the set. If your kids love it, you may want to introduce them to the whole collection:
- Unicorns Are the Worst – 2020
- Dragons Are the Worst – 2021
- Elves Are the Worst – 2023
- Mermaids Are the Worst – Available in March of 2025
Happy teaching!
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