Toomai of the Elephants: read-along
Toomai of the Elephants as a read-along for the projector: 16 pages, 1896 words, level 13, grade 8.
Page 1 of 16
Kala Nag, whose name means Black Snake, was an old working elephant who had served the elephant-catchers for forty-seven years. Since he had been twenty when he was first tamed, he was nearly seventy, which is a ripe old age for an elephant. His mother had told him long ago that elephants who were afraid always got hurt, and he had taken her advice so completely that by the time he was twenty-five he was no longer frightened of anything. He had carried tents and hauled heavy timber, he had crossed the sea in a ship, and he now stood ten feet tall at the shoulder, with his tusks cut short and bound in bands of copper.
Keys: ← → or Page Up and Page Down turn the page, Space starts and pauses the voice, Home and End jump, F fills the screen. Tapping the right side of a page goes on; the left side goes back.
How to use it
- Press Full screen (F) to put the book on the projector.
- Press Read to me (Space), or read it yourself and turn pages with the arrow keys or a tap. Pick the Pace that suits the class.
- After the last page, three questions come up to talk about.
About this book
- Level 13, Grade 8
- 16 pages, 1896 words, about 14 minutes aloud
- A classic tale, gentle
Related
About Toomai of the Elephants
Little Toomai grows up in an elephant camp, where the chief tells him he may join the real hunters when he has seen the elephants dance. Everyone knows that is a joke, until one moonlit night his huge old friend slips his string and carries him off into the forest.
Words to preview
- hammock (HAM-uk)
- hanging bed
- tracker (TRAK-er)
- trail-following hunter
- tusker (TUS-ker)
- elephant with tusks
- pickets (PIK-its)
- tethering stakes
- salute (suh-LOOT)
- greeting of honor
Questions that fit any book
- What happened at the beginning, in the middle and at the end?
- Which page was your favorite? Why?
- How did the main character feel at the end? What tells you?
Questions
How long does Toomai of the Elephants take to read aloud?
It has 16 pages and 1896 words, so about 14 minutes at the Steady pace and a little less at Quick. If you stop to talk on the way, plan for more.
What reading level is Toomai of the Elephants?
Level 13, Grade 8. The library numbers its levels from 0 to 18 and puts the level of a book on its cover; level 13 sits at grade 8. A level is a guide for choosing, so look at the pages yourself.
Whose voice is it?
Your browser's own. Read to me uses a speaking voice already on the computer, so it sounds like that computer and works without a sign-in. Voices differ: some light each word as it is spoken, and some do not, in which case the highlight follows a steady pace instead. Some browsers use an online voice; if yours does, the browser, not us, sends the words of the page to its speech service. If no voice is installed, turn the pages and read it aloud yourself.
Do students need an account?
No. Nothing is asked of anyone and nothing is sent to us. Project the page, or share the link and let students open it on their own screens.
Is this the original text?
No. It is a retelling in Peabody's own words at this reading level, so it may differ from the edition you know.
Nothing you do here is sent to us. The voice is your browser's own. No sign-in, no ads.