Too Many Toys (by )

Spencer has more toys than he knows what to do with! They're filling up his sandbox, spilling out of his bathtub, and making his room a mess. He has all kinds of toys, too -- quiet and loud, baby and big kid. And the toys just keep on coming! Spencer's parents have had it and so they announce that Spencer will need to go through his toys and winnow out his favorites. But every toy is special and every single one is so much fun -- will Spencer be able to do it?

What parent doesn't know the challenge of walking through the toy obstacle course in their kids' bedrooms to get to the other side? They'll recognize their own lives and laugh (along with their kids) at the comical illustrations of Spencer's parents stepping on jacks and tripping over train tracks. Hey -- we've all been there! And that's what makes this book so good.

Spencer acts like a real kid (and reacts like a real kid when he hears his mom wants him to give away his toys!) and his parents act like real parents. It's a funny story that will help families put their own toy trials on the table and open the discussion up to solutions. What do the kids think Spencer should do? And could they maybe apply their brainstorming to their own overflowing toy boxes?

Illustrator: David Shannon
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Publication date: October 1, 2008
Number of pages: 32
Hardcover price: $16.99
Read Aloud: 4
Read Alone: 8