Life with Mammoth

Fraser, Ian. Life with Mammoth. Illustrated by Mary Ann Fraser. Marshall Cavendish, 2010. 64 pages. $14.99. ISBN 9780761457220.

Summary:

Why is cave-speak so darn funny? Why do first and second graders love it so? Meet Ogg and Bob and their pet mammoth, Mug, who live in a cave. These friends keep a neat house (no muddy mammoths, please), experiment with home decoration (cave art), and sometimes argue (who is Mug’s favorite friend?).”Cave Art” was a very funny chapter: first the friends try to make a representation of Mug on their wall but they decide he looks too skinny and not hairy enough. When Mug comes inside after rolling in the mud, he creates a mammoth-print on the wall that they outline! The chapters are simple and silly, and include colorful, comic-like illustrations on each page.

Curriculum Connections:

One way to use this text with a language arts focus would be to have students correct Ogg and Bob’s cave-speak into modern, grammatically correct, English. This could be done on a SMART board or with a digital projector, or using classroom iPads.

Personal Reflections:

Though the stand-alone chapters and illustrations indicate the form of an early reader, the print is a bit smaller than in a typical reader and could considered an early transitional fiction book.

Awards:

Age/Interest Range:

6-8

Genre/Themes:

Humor, Friendship, Cave Men

Read-Alikes:

The Ook and Gluk series by the popular Dav Pilkey is an obvious match for readers who enjoy the humorous side of life during prehistoric times.