Raises concerns about whether literacy-enriched play in early childhood settings is really play. Presents a vignette to illustrate how a teacher can model literacy unobtrusively, thereby enhancing literacy, but unwittingly draw children away from meaningful play activities. Differentiates the cognitive processes involved in play and literacy activities, focusing on the nonliteral thinking involved in pretend play. Offers suggestions for rescuing play in classrooms and placing literacy into proper perspective. (KB)