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Can I Play Too? Cover

Can I Play Too?

(9781423119913)

Written & illustrated by Mo Willems

Published by Hyperion Books for Children

Theme/topic: Friendship, Inclusion, and Persistence

Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems is a heartwarming and humorous story about friendship, inclusion, and problem-solving. When a new friend, Snake, wants to join Elephant and Piggie’s game of catch, the duo faces a challenge—how can someone without arms play? Through their creativity and determination, the friends work together to find a way for everyone to be included.

This engaging story provides an opportunity for children to practise personal and social skills to interact respectfully with others (AC9HPFP02 – Foundation Year, Health and Physical Education). Teachers and students can explore how characters experience exclusion, discuss why it happens, and consider ways to make activities more inclusive. With its simple yet expressive illustrations and playful dialogue, Can I Play Too? fosters inclusion, empathy, problem-solving, and cooperation, making it a valuable resource for early childhood social-emotional learning.

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Curriculum Alignment:

  • These AC codes are suggested purely based on the book’s content and are provided for reference only.

AC9HPFP02 9.0 (Health and Physical Education Foundation): Practise personal and social skills to interact respectfully with others

• explaining their reasons and actions in response to challenging situations in shared play experiences
• identifying characters in texts who have been excluded from a group, exploring why they have been excluded and discussing how other characters could have been more inclusive
• cooperating, collaborating and negotiating with others when participating in physical activities to achieve agreed outcomes
• identifying behaviours that may be disrespectful and cause hurt or harm to others during play

Mo Willems, award-winning, New York Times best-selling creator of The Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, and Unlimited Squirrels, presents best friends Elephant Gerald and Piggie.

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not.
Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald worries so that Piggie does not have to.

Gerald and Piggie are best friends.

In Can I Play Too? Gerald and Piggie meet a new snake friend who wants to join in a game of catch. But how can a snake play catch?

Read all of Elephant Gerald and Piggie’s adventures!
– Today I Will Fly!
– My Friend is Sad
– I Am Invited to a Party!
– There is a Bird on Your Head!
– I Love My New Toy!
– I Will Surprise My Friend!
– Are You Ready to Play Outside?
– Watch Me Throw the Ball!
– Elephants Cannot Dance!
– Pigs Make Me Sneeze!
– I Am Going!
– Can I Play Too?
– We Are in a Book!
– I Broke My Trunk!
– Should I Share My Ice Cream?
– Let’s Go for a Drive!
– Happy Pig Day!
– Listen to My Trumpet!
– A Big Guy Took My Ball!
– I’m a Frog!
– My New Friend is So Fun!
– Waiting is Not Easy!
– I Will Take a Nap!
– I Really Like Slop!
– The Thank You Book

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