The Boy Who Wouldn't Share

Reiss, Mike

ISBN 10: 0060591331 ISBN 13: 9780060591335

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008

Synopsis

Edward has oodles of toys but doesn't share any of them with his little sister, Claire. She cannot ride his rocking horse, hug his teddy bear, or even think about touching his Slinky.

"They're mine!"

he says. That is, until one day when Edward finds himself stuck under his enormous pile of toys and can't move! With a little help from an unlikely ally, he learns that if he can share with others, they'll share right back with him.

Mike Reiss's wickedly funny verse and David Catrow's remarkable gift for comic illustration make this one book you'll want to share—again and again!

About this title

About the Author:

Mike Reiss has won four Emmys and a Peabody Award during his twenty-eight years writing for The Simpsons. He ran the show in Season 4, which Entertainment Weekly called “the greatest season of the greatest show in history.” In 2006, Reiss received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Animation Writers Caucus. Reiss has written jokes for such comedy legends as Johnny Carson, Joan Rivers, Garry Shandling...and Pope Francis! For his comedic contributions to the charitable group Joke with the Pope, in 2015 Pope Francis declared Reiss “A Missionary of Joy.”

 

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 1—Reiss and Catrow team up again for another humorous picture book. Edward, a "frightful boy," will not share any toys with his younger sister. When she touches something, he cries, "IT'S MINE. MINE. MINE!" Overcome by greed, he gets stuck in his tangle of toys and misses the opportunity for homemade fudge. Claire, not one to hold grudges, helps free her brother and shares her chocolate. After Edward apologizes profusely, the siblings spend the day playing happily. The rhyming text is pleasant but flawed. Edward's dramatic character shift is hard to believe, and one wonders why he doesn't shout "help" when his mother is nearby. Catrow's colorful, amusing illustrations are the highlight here. With every viewing, readers see additional delightful details, such as a blow-up Frankenstein doll drinking tea from a dainty cup and a cat whose stripes match the easy chair. The varying perspectives of the children and the toys add to the fun. Edward's sour, grumpy expressions are exaggerated and comical; children learning to share will belly laugh even as they see a reflection of themselves. Overall, this would be a good addition to early childhood collections.—Barbara Katz, Parish Episcopal School, Dallas, TX
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0060591331
• ISBN 13: 9780060591335
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Catrow David