Tag Archives: David Shannon

Too Many Toys

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One day, Spencer’s mom had it up to here with
all the toys. “SPENCER!” she yelled on her way upstairs.
“YOU HAVE TOO MANY TOYS!”
That’s impossible! thought Spencer.
Then she said, “We’re going to get rid of some of them.”
That’s a CATASTROPHE!
“Pick out which toys you don’t want,” she ordered,
“and put them in this box.”
“BUT I LOVE THEM ALL!” Spencer cried.

This book will tickle every kid that ever had to defend a dearly (or newly) beloved toy and every adult that has ever stepped on a Lego. The illustrations are somewhat odd, but very effective, and an unexpected twist ending adds a nice touch.

Author: David Shannon
Illustrator: David Shannon

 

The Tale of Meshka the Kvetch

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Tonight I thought I’d give the boys a treat by reading How I Became  a Pirate. (I don’t like romanticizing pirates, so we don’t have many pirate-related books. Which may make reading about them more exciting, rather than less. Huh.)   But the boys took one look at it and moaned, in unison:  “We have that at school!”

So, I picked out Meshka.  And they were thrilled.  Go figure.

Meshka is a practiced complainer (a kvetch).  Her back doesn’t simply ache, it feels as if she has “carried the Wall of Jericho itself.”  Her studious son “sit[s] around the house like a bump on a kosher pickle.”  And so on and so forth.  But, one day, everything she complains about literally comes to pass.  What is a kvetch to do?

The message here (praise the good in your life rather than bemoan the bad) isn’t subtle, but it is a good one and easily carried along by the humorous plot and lively illustrations.

Author:  Carol Chapman
Illustrator:  Arnold Lobel