The 2011 book, Hopper and Wilson by Maria van Lieshout, is about an elephant and mouse that set sail in a newspaper sailor hat boat to see the end of the world. Kindergarten students made a simple sailor hat before I read the story. I set out a one page spread of a newspaper folded. Students had to make a triangle at the folded edge then fold up the bottom. It was easier for the students if we taped the edges down. There are always a couple of students who say they can’t do it on their own. I’ll start the triangle and make them do it on their own. Some got help from another student. The story itself is cute. Hopper gets lost in a storm and Wilson is afraid he’s lost at sea. The two become reunited and sail around the world ending up at the same place they started. I keep mixing up the names. Hopper is the elephant and Wilson is the mouse. I always want to reverse them. Kids kept laughing at my mixup.
