The Boy Who Wouldn't Share [Hardcover]

Mike Reiss (Author), David Catrow (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 2008 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

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!

Editorial Reviews

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
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Mike Reiss is a former head writer for The Simpsons, a show for which he has won four Emmy awards. He is a graduate of Harvard University, where he served as president of The Harvard Lampoon, and currently lives in Los Angeles, California. His other books for children include How Murray Saved Christmas, Santa Claustrophobia, and The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln, all illustrated by David Catrow.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060591323
• ISBN-13: 978-0060591328
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sends the wrong message, September 18, 2008

By 

C. Riter (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Boy Who Wouldn't Share (Hardcover)

After reading this a handful of times, my 3-year-old now repeats the line "IT'S MINE, he said, NOT YOURS of course" over and over to me all day long. Since the majority of the book has the message of the boy NOT sharing and repeatedly saying "IT'S MINE", we seem to have gotten the WRONG message from it...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommend not buying this book, November 18, 2009

By 

J. Williams (Snohomish, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Boy Who Wouldn't Share (Hardcover)

When little brother came on the scene, we bought this book for big brother (3yrs) thinking it would have a wonderful lesson in it. Instead, our little boy learned how to say "Mine Mine Mine," like the boy in the book does. We like to teach our little ones to share for the right reasons, and it doesn't have anything in the book about WHY one should share. I would like to have seen this book come back to a lesson about sharing, but it never did. I'm sure there are many better books out there about why we should share and how it makes us, our friends and our siblings feel when we share.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars My daughter is donating it to the library, July 4, 2010

By 

manda c - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Boy Who Wouldn't Share (Hardcover)

We got this book from a cousin. My children love to read and often cry when it comes time to take books back to the library. We have 99 books checked out right now. My 4 year old brought me this book and told me that she didn't like it and wanted to give it to the library. When I explained it was hers, she said the library could have it. I put it on a shelf out of sight and just happened to take it out and put it on the table today and she said she didn't like it there. She isn't an unpleasant child- she just really doesn't like the book. SO-for what it's worth, there's a review from a preschooler.