Too Many Toys

Shannon's illustrations add humor to this story. The exaggerated facial expressions of the characters allow the reader to experience Spencer's mom's frustration and Spencer's panic.

Simply put, David has too many toys. He gets toys from everyone: grandma, grandpa, the dentist, drive-in, and his friends, etc. His mother tries to convince him he needs to get rid of some toys that are collecting dust rather than being used, but David has a different idea in mind. David bargains

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with his mother when deciding to giveaway or keep certain toys. The best ending to the story comes when David decides he can not part with the best toy ever, a cardboard box that was converted into a space ship.

I love this story. At a young age this is exactly what I went through when my mom tried to help me clean my room. I wanted to keep the toys "I was just about to play with." David Shannon captures the very nature of the battle to keep everything that has ever been given to us because of an emotional attachment. You can not help but laugh.

In the classroom, I would introduce this book when talking about reusing, recycling, and giving to others. This book can introduce a class service project (giving to charity). It would be great to see alternate endings written by students...making it a contest to see who could come up with a great service project for the class (9 weeks project).

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David has too many toys. Gifts from parents and grandparents, party favors and little toys from the fast-food restaurants fill his room and eventually the entire house (or so it seems). When his mom steps on a plastic Lego with her bare foot, she decides it's time for David to get rid of some toys.

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But David can't seem to part with his special toys. He loves them all! After some sharp negotiating, David and his Mom manage to fill an entire box of toys to donate, but just when Mom is about to grab the box to drive the toys away, she discovers David has removed all the toys and is now playing in the empty big box. "It's the best toy of all!" he shouts to his mom.

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Spencer was a little boy who had too many toys. One day his mom said they had to give away some toys. They bargained and argued and finally had a box of toys ready. His mom came back later and Spencer had dumped out all the toys because he wanted to play in the box. This is a funny story that all

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children can probably identify with because they all have a lot of toys. The story shows how they could really get rid of some toys and never miss them. It also shows how sometimes a box and their imaginations makes the best toy.

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In David Shannon's book "Too Many Toys," Spencer has too many toys. They are overtaking the whole house and his mom is ready for him to start cleaning them out. Just like any other child, Spencer does not like the thought of getting rid of his toys. Finally, his mom helps him clean out the toys and

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he kept his favorites. In the end, the best toy of all is a cardboard box that he can use his imagination to be anything he wants. This book is great for group readings. It is for intermediate readers.

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Not a fan of Shannon's art work. Characters look manic, weird bug eyes make all characters appear too freakish and zany. I was hoping that this would end up with David giving his excess toys to charity or less fortunate children. Instead, he simply found yet another toy to play with. I hope his mom

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is smart enough to get rid of the others.

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This is an excellent example of REALISTIC FICTION because it is convincingly true and is easy to relate to. The plight of many American children is an overabundance of toys, while, in reality, the simplest things can actually spark the most imagination.

Media: acrylic paint and permanent pen (?)
Age

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Appropriateness: primary

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This book tells the story of a child unwilling to give up some of his toys even though his mother is tired of the clutter in every room of the house. It shows how a kid can rationalize that he/she needs certain toys and how each can be the most important at any given moment. In the end, the child

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claims that the cardboard box is the best one ever which lets the reader appreciate the imagination of children. This would be a great book to have in a classroom library and to read to the class as the illustrations are wonderful!

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The opening pages of this book reminded me of my boys because they were surrounded with toys that came from us, their grandparents, birthday parties, and yes, from McDee's. Lots of those little toys. They had Beanie Babies, Tonka Trucks, Legos, puzzles, games, trains, books, airplanes, and dolls.

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They had toys that worked and toys that were broken. They had toys in toy boxes, toys under the bed, toys in the bathtub, toys in the living room and toys in the kitchen. They played with my pots and pans and with their dad's tools. There were some days when the toys took over the house, and I could've easily been Spencer's mom in the book Too Many Toys!

The house where Spencer lives is filled with his toys. His mother is tripping over them, his father is falling over them and there is toy chaos everywhere! Why does he have so many toys? For the same reason my kids had too many toys: generous grandparents, generous friends and, of course, loopy parents who got caught up in the 5-seconds of a happy smile in the K-Mart check-out line.

Spencer's mother trips once too many times and declares war on Spencer's toys. They have to go, she yells! Horrified, Spencer becomes instantly attached to every little Lego and broken toy he's owned. Nothing can be given away because he loves it, or was just going to play with it. What's hilarious funny to me is that this was my life with my son. My life, too, turned into a negotiation that even the most skilled attorney would've been in awe of! Like Spencer and his mother, my son and I would negotiate the smallest of toys until the negotiation would exhaust me, and I'd be standing there with 3 toys in a garbage bag and my son would be sitting triumphantly among the 'keep' toys. Give-up-this-one-to-keep-that-one was the theory, but the reality was he managed to talk me into keeping 15 toys to every one we threw away.

Of course Spencer and his mother finally are able to negotiate enough toys to giveaway to make her feel better, and when she goes to get the box they were using to discard toys, Spencer has realized that the box is absolutely the best toy ever! Duh?! Don't we all remember playing in refrigerator boxes when we were little? Those were the days before Sears hauled the boxes away. Hours and hours of fun were had in a box, so it's not surprising that Spencer can't get rid of it!

I loved this story because it is our story....and I say 'our' meaning that it's probably the story of every family out there. The pictures are colorful and chock full of details -- details of all the toys Spencer owns, but also details on the faces of the people in the story.
The expressions on Spencer's and his mom's face are hilarious and very expressive. Just the pictures alone will keep your students laughing. In fact, I read this book to my Kindergartners, 1st graders, second and third graders. They all laughed and excitedly talked about the toys they saw in the pictures. To me, any book that draws a kid in from the picture is a winner.

I read this book thinking that it was a Caldecott possibility because the pictures are so perfect. The pictures were vital to the story, and I thought it had a shot. Unfortunately it did not win -- didn't even get an honor, but it' still a terrific read if you're looking for a funny book. So when the pressures of life are starting to unravel everyone or it's right before Spring Break and the kids are wound tightly, pick up Too Many Toys and you'll find yourself laughing right along with your class.

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A fun read aloud book! David Shannon's story and illustrations are full of Spencer's limitless energy. Your child will also love playing the "I Spy" game while reading this book.

I checked it out because the title seemed so apropros to my life right now. The story itself had some cute details. My 2y9mo liked it quite a lot -- maybe because she likes the concept of "too many toys".

I had to read this because it was done by David Shannon. It is a cute story about a boy that had too many toys. His mother helps him to get rid of the toys he longer plays with, but as he sees each toy he suddenly loves them.I think that all kids can relate,I know that i can remember crying "

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that's my favorite" even though I hadn't played with it in a very long time.

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Spencer has way too many toys but struggles choosing some to give away. In the end, Mom comes to get the box of toys to give away and Spencer has turned the box into a spaceship.

Another cute story by David Shannon. I read this aloud to my second graders who loved it! Great in time for Christmas,

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too. Lots of lessons you can use with this book that are relevant to young children.

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Love this book! Wonderful, detailed, colorful illustrations and a story that is true for many children. I automatically thought of my friend's 4 year old daughter when I read it the first time. She liked it when I read it to her, but it was a little long winded to keep her attention. Overall,

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fantastic book though!

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Spencer is the typical middle class American child with way too many toys! The conflict between Spencer and his mother over which toys to get rid of is all too familiar. A good book, but geared toward a younger audience than I am reading to.

Spencer has way too many toys. He gets them for every occasion and adores each and every one. His toys are beginning to be a problem and his mother shouts that it is time for some of them to go. After Spencer puts up some sort of fight to defend every toy in the house, they finally decided on a

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whole box of toys that would be given away. When Spencer's mother returns to the box after coming from upstairs she is furious because all of the toys are all over the ground again. Spencer had dumped the toys out of the box and used it for a spaceship exclaiming, "It's the best toy EVER!" This book describes the attachment children may have to their toys, the relationships children have with their parents, and common situations that happen at home. I know this situation happens with every child at some point, and I feel that young readers could relate to the story. I enjoyed it and I liked how out of all those toys the box was the best one. However, I am not really sure how I could incorporate this book into academics. Because of this I would probably read this during a read aloud to practice reading and listening comprehension.

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Bright, eye-catching illustrations and a story about simple joys winning out over complex, expensive toys.

A great conversation-starter, especially during the holiday season. Do kids think there CAN be too many toys? What is the problem that Spencer has in the story? What is the solution he and his mom come up with? Fun, fun, fun all around.

Can any kid really have too many toys? Spencer's parents sure think he does. After they finally convince him to get rid of some things, they find him playing in an empty box.

A little boy with "too many toys" has to get rid of some of them because his mom said so. He has a hard time figuring out which toys to get rid of then comes to find out they weren't that important.

Playing with toys. He played with video games and he also made his toys into a parade. Everyone gave Spencer toys. The mom wants to help her son to give up his toys.

SOURCE: Suggested by student in ECE class at pierce college.
AGE: 3-5

Spencer has too many toys. But with the help of his mom he is able to let old toys go and keep just what he needs.

This is a great picture book that parents really get. Very funny. Probably would connect really well with a book about a bunny with a box.

Don't judge a book by its cover! At first glance my daughter wasn't really attracted to the book. It wasn't her first choice on the pile and was actually delaying it until she ran out of choices. I told her we should give it a chance and see if the story was good. Although the art in the book was

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what was so "out there", perhaps too colorful or or too big, we could definitely relate very well to the story - it's so personal! (Ha, ha) So much that in the end she said she was also going to make another toy of the cardboard box where she keeps a portion of her toys. (!!!!!!!!!)

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