The Boy Who Wouldn't Share

The boy who wouldn't share is a wonderful book. In the school district that I teach in we have a program called "Second Step". This book is great to use as examples of what would happen if you don't share. I just this book in small groups and large group to get discussions going with the children. Excellent book!!!!

I bought this book hoping that it would teach my oldest boy about sharing. I don't think he learned that lesson, but he has a big smile everytimes I said "You made it stinky!", or "It's mine!". The illustrations are cute and fun. My younger kids love to find Edward under the pile of toys. Overall, the book is a very good book to read for all ages.

My son and I love the book. It came very quickly and read it alot.

Reviewed by Quinn Bankler (age 6) for Reader Views (8/08) "The Boy Who Wouldn't Share" was a book about a boy who had a whole bunch of toys and would not share with his little sister. When his mother came in with fudge and could not find the boy since he was in a big pile of toys, she just gave it to his little sister. His little sister went to try to find him in the big pile of toys. Then the boy learned to share and the day turned out good. I liked "The Boy Who Wouldn't Share" by Mike Reiss because it teaches to share.

Mike Reiss and David Catrow appear to be starting an unofficial picture book series of sorts. Wasn't that long ago that I walked into a bookstore and found myself staring at an odd little concoction by the name of The Boy Who Looked Like Lincoln. That flipped the switch on my Weirdo Picture Book o' Meter for a good week or so. I kept thinking back to that bizarre book with its strangely amusing premise. I mean, don't get me wrong. The story was fun but everything you needed to know was in the title. Now Reiss and Catrow have a new "The Boy Who" book out, and at first you might accuse it of the "Lincoln" book's crime. Take a gander at the cover of "The Boy Who Wouldn't Share" and there sits as wizened, cantankerous, sour-faced a boy as has ever graced the cover of a tale for children. I admit it. It was love at first sight. Somehow this book manages to tell a story in rhyme (that most loathsome of storytelling techniques) that works in everything from toy trains to a blow-up Frankenstein doll. Most excellent. Edward has a lot of toys. Tons really. And when his sister attempts to play with them, Edward appears out of nowhere to tell her, "IT'S MINE!" in no uncertain terms. Even his Slinky is off-limits, and in a fit of greedy pique the boy barricades himself behind his toys, a crazed smile upon his face. Of course, trapped within his own toys, Edward's mother doesn't see the boy at all... so she gives all the fudge she has to Claire. In a change of heart a now downtrodden Edward concedes that Claire may play with his toys if she likes. "And Claire, who did not hold a grudge, helped him out and gave him fudge." In the last panel the two peddle off into the sunset, Edward on his bike pulling Claire in his wagon behind. The Grinch has nothing on Edward. Nothing. And illustrator David Catrow could give even the good Doctor of Seuss a run for his money when it comes to tight-faced scrooges. Actually, there are several times in this book when Catrow appears to be conjuring up Mr. Geisel. There's something about the way Edward's pinky lifts up delicately when he plucks his wizard's hat from his sister's head. Something about the ape-like curve of his upper lip. I can't pinpoint it, of course, but Seuss would have found much to love in this book as well. Even Claire is a Little Cindy Lou Who of a gal, all sweetness and light and forgiveness. I'm sure that Catrow has been compared to Seuss time and time again, but this time the similarities seem intentional. Ironically, "The Boy Who Wouldn't Share" is coming out at about the same time as David Shannon's similarly toy-centric title Too Many Toys. Both books harbor a love of classic games and puzzles too. You won't find any Gameboys or Dance Dance Revolution sets clogging up these kids' closets. No, clearly the artists are fans of Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, Legos, and Slinkys galore. And frankly, that makes the most sense. It's not as if these toys don't sell these days a