Showing posts with label sharing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sharing. Show all posts

Monday, June 6, 2011

Book Reviews: Two New Ones on Sharing

Little Mouse's BIG Secret
Author/Illustrator: Eric Battut
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

From the Book Jacket: When Little Mouse finds a delicious apple, he knows, exactly what to do. He decides to keep it a secret from all of his friends and buries the apple safely in the ground. But by the end of this charming story, Eric Battut's endearingly selfish mouse realizes it's better to share a secret than to keep it all to on one's self.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: We giggled our way through this story. Mouse is being a real stinker...a sneaky and selfish stinker. He's doing the classic "I'm not gonna share with no one!" behavior. He tries to hide the apple. Know any kids who try and hide toys etc? Little Mouse's Big Secret is clever and the illustrations tell the real story. When you make the decision to be generous over being selfish - you will reap so many inner rewards. Love those kind of kid conversations.

That's Mine
Author/Illustrator: Jennifer Northway
Interest Level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Publishers  

From the Book Jacket: William thinks it's no fun having a little sister. Not only does Emma take up all Mom's time, but she wants to play with William's toys - especially his favorite, Spotty Cat. But when Emma is ill and nothing can make her stop crying, William has a brilliant idea.....


Why It's On My Bookshelf: This is a validating story for the older sibling. They can get easily annoyed with a younger sister or brother who steps onto their turf. It's actually a bit complex. What you may see as mean behavior towards the younger sibling may really be a form of communication. No longer getting all the attention and having to share everything can be rough business at first. The ending to this story is sweet. It's about finding the soft spot in a child's heart (love) so they can figure out their new family role.


A Link to These Books and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Monday, March 7, 2011

Book Reviews: More Awesome Ones on Sharing

Share With Brother
sequel to Love the Baby
Author: Steven L Layne
Illustrated by Ard Hoyt
Interest Level: Ages 3-7

A Note From the Publisher: Brother has been waiting to play with his new sibling since the day Mommy and Daddy brought him home. However, his excitement soon wears off when everyone reminds him that he must share. As Brother tosses jacks and plays safari with his friends, his family says, “Share with brother and someday brother will share with you.” But he doesn’t want to share, and his temper steams until he is sent to his room for his selfish behavior.

Nevertheless, when the baby becomes sick, Brother doesn’t hesitate to come to the rescue! He strings lights across his bed, reads him a book, and even shares his ice cream. Although Brother likes taking care of the little tyke, he later discovers that sometimes sharing comes with a catch!

This charming tale, complete with illustrations of cuddly bunnies, humorously approaches the subject of jealousy between siblings. Children will laugh at Brother’s silly antics as he grows to accept the baby while parents point out the lesson he learns about sharing.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Just the other day I was out shopping when I saw a little girl point at her younger sister and say angrily to her mother, "But I always have to share with her!!!" Growing up with four siblings I can relate. A little autonomy is what all we older siblings prayed for on a daily basis. Wishful thinking! But what if you framed it in a new way to your child...that by sharing with a sibling you are TEACHING them to treat you the same way. As a child, it's nice to be praised and appreciated for the kindness you give, especially to a sibling.

I think that's why I like Share With Brother so much.  Over and over older brother rabbit is told, "Share with brother and someday brother will share with you." This is a hard thing for him to hear and he is quite stubborn about it. Reminded me of how siblings get in turf wars over little and big things. I plan on using this as a read aloud on building sibling relationships. But it can also be a great reminder to treat each other the way you want to be treated. If you want others to share with you - share with them first. 


Ribbit Rabbit
Author: Candace Ryan
Illustrated by Mike Lowery
Ages: 3-7

A Note From the Publisher: RIBBIT RABBIT, GRIP IT, GRAB IT! Frog and Bunny are best friends. RIBBIT, RABBIT! They do everything together, like fight monsters (ZIP IT, ZAP IT!). And even though they get in fights sometimes-YIP IT, YAP IT!-they always make up in the end. 

Ribbit, Rabbit features an effortlessly clever text that, in less than 150 words, captures the ups and downs of young friendships. Combined with adorably hip and fresh illustrations and an irresistible package, Ribbit, Rabbit is the perfect choice for the youngest of readers.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: This has been a major hit in my kindergarten classes. It's got cool wording in it like wibbit wabbit, dip it, dab it, nip it, nab it, yip it, yap it........ahhh, social skills books can be fun!

I thought this was going to be a fast read but I took time to focus on the conflict in bunny and frog's friendship. They love playing together but they sure don't like sharing things. That's a recipe for friendship disaster. A showdown over a robot causes a riff between them. But the robot won't work if they don't get over their sharing issues which they quickly realize as they sit alone. They also take a moment to think about each other (this is the part I care about). Feelings are more important than toys. So important for kids to learn this. Amends are made quite sweetly between them. I'm all for amends in books. Another perfect kindergarten social skills story on my shelf. Be sure to pull in a frog and a bunny puppet if you can. Makes for a much more impactful lesson. I found a toy robot for kids to role play with also.


A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Book Review: A Few Good Ones On Sharing

More new books to my shelf! These are go to social skills books I use with kindergartners on sharing.



Martha Doesn't Share!
Author: Samantha Berger
illustrated by Bruce Whatley
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

From the Book Jacket: Martha has a new favorite word. And that word is Mine! Martha's sharing skills need some work. She's not very good at taking turns either. But when Martha realizes that keeping her toys all to herself means having to play all by herself, too, she decides to give sharing a try - one (small) toy at a time. In this follow-up to Martha Doesn't Say Sorry!, our unforgettable otter learns that when it comes to sharing, practice makes (almost) perfect. 

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Martha Doesn't Say Sorry! has made many rounds to K-1 classes. So the students are very familiar with this little otter (who can be a total stinker). This is a classic story of the consequences of not sharing....no one wants to be around you, give you attention, or play with you. Martha experiences this and she gets to thinking....oh oh, time to change my ways! A page I enjoy reading is when Martha has her a ha moment, "Martha thinks about sharing. She thinks and thinks and thinks about it. Then she thinks about it some more." Ahh, perfect stopping point for discussion about that lovely little word "think."

The last illustration gets me giddy. It might look like a cutsie ending but good discussion awaits. The picture shows Martha sharing with her baby brother. 

Here's the deal though....she's only sharing a few blocks. Yo, it's not sharing when you give someone three items and you have fifty. A kindergarten teacher listening in interrupted our lesson and we had a talk about this last illustration. (great time to role play this with those problem toys) This is a sharing behavior that's been going on in her class. Some of the kids had that 'oh oh' look on their face but they were able to receive and understand it's perceived as unkind when you do this. LOVE IT. Now all I need is a Martha otter puppet and I'm set!

Eleanore Won't Share
Author: Julie Gassman
illustrated by Jessica Mikhail
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

About This Book: Eleanore does not like to share and soon learns a valuable life lesson about sharing and friendships.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Whoa. Eleanore and Martha must be related! Eleanore definitely does not like to share and she even has her own set of rules about sharing:

1. Always share things you don't like.
2. Always share things that belong to other people.
3. Always share when it make things more fun...for you!

So the story continues with Eleanore hoarding away while making others feel bad. But soon enough she feels those social consequences that come with unkind behavior. "The other kids were NOT happy about it. Soon, they stopped playing with the dress-up clothes - and with Eleanore."


When she tries to join in a game the kids assertively let her know she will not be included unless she changes her ways. Taking a little think time, Eleanore rights the wrong and says, "From now on I will try to share - even when I don't want to." In the end, she shares a hug with her teacher. Ahh...adorable. Make sure to create a new and improved list of sharing rules for Eleanore with the help of students. Hint: don't do a boring 1 2 3 list. I traced a picture of Eleanore on a huge piece of construction paper to make our list more engaging.

Author: Annabelle Dixon
illustrated by Tim Archbold
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

About This Book: Joe has a shiny red car. Charlie hides it, Ben finds it, but whom will Joe choose to share it with?

Why It's On My Bookshelf: I own this whole series on making good choices. What I love about them is how they end - no perfect ending. A book requiring kids to fill in the holes and do some thinking. Yippee! But don't worry, a helpful parent/teacher guide will give you thoughtful questions to ask the kids if you need some help. 


The story is centered around Joe's car. Charlie decides to hide it because Joe won't let him have a turn with it. An all familiar story I've seen happen with kids. It's discovered by Ben who makes a decision to lie and say it's his own. Whoo! All kinds of poor choices going on in this one. This is a great story to not just talk about sharing but also friendship and honesty. Enjoy!


A Link to These Books and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Book Review: Mine! Mine! Mine!

Author: Shelly Becker
Illustrated by Hideko Takahashi
Interest Level: Ages 3-6

About This Book: “My name is Gail, and here’s a tale that I would like to share…” Gail may happily share her tale…but never her toys, books, or other possessions. And that’s the problem in this entertaining story, narrated in rhyme by the resistant little girl herself.

Gail’s favorite words are “Mine! Mine! Mine!” and she uses them all the time. Even when she tries to follow her Mom’s good examples of generosity, Gail doesn’t get it quite right. “An ugly hat, a broken bat, a smelly, chewed-up shoe…” are all she’ll hand over during her Cousin Claire’s visit. Will Gail EVER become a “sharing superstar”?

With its adorable art and humorous perspective, this picture book makes its point in the most delightful way.

Why It's On My Book Shelf: I'm guessing 99.9% of kids go through the stage of 'Mine Mine Mine!' Oh yes, just the other day I saw kids burying coveted sand toys in the playground sandbox. Apparently, some were still learning that hoarding the toys is not cool. So it seemed like the appropriate time for a dose of Mine Mine Mine. As I read the story to kindergarteners, a wave of guilt seemed to sweep across the room. Students related to Gail's possessive behavior. At one point, a little girl blurted out, "Oh, she is really rude!" I let the outraged blurting continue throughout the first few pages, "She doesn't have any manners!" "That's really selfish!" As the story progressed the students quieted down and an overwhelming sense of empathy seemed to be developing towards Cousin Claire (Gail's victim). Author Shelly Becker does a marvelous job of making sure the reader sees how refusing to share can cause hurt feelings and you might even lose a play date. Gail's mom steps in to not just save the day but also models the importance of sharing and kindness. Liking that a lot! This is definitely my favorite book about sharing.


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Book Review: Big Wolf & Little Wolf

Author: Nadine Brun-Cosme
Illustrated by:  Olivier Tallec
Interest Level: Preschool-Grade 2

About This Book: Big Wolf lives alone under a tree at the top of a hill until one autumn day when Little Wolf comes along. At first he is wary of this stranger who silently joins him for exercises at the top of the tree, lunch at the base, and sleepy time against the trunk. But when Big Wolf goes for a walk and comes back to find Little Wolf gone, he realizes that "a little one, indeed a very little one, [has] taken up space in his heart. A lot of space." Big Wolf waits through a lonely winter, until one spring day a tiny dot in the distance slowly grows to become Little Wolf, returning at last, and a beautiful friendship begins. This translation has careful phrasing. Tallec's colorful illustrations play off the quiet dignity of the text, revealing emotion through the characters' stances and expressions, employing a sketchy painting style that brims with light. -from School Library Journal

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Have you ever had a whole classroom clap after you read a book? It's pretty cute and cool when it happens. Big Wolf and Little Wolf practically got a standing ovation. This is a touching story of friendship. Big Wolf is content living a solace little life style under a tree, OR IS HE? Something spectacular happens to him when he finally 'invites' the friendship of Little Wolf into his life. He's changed forever and for the better.  Sharing, caring, being grateful, appreciation of another....you will get the 'works' in this sweet story. More endearing friendship books for my shelf. Yippeee!