Too Many Toys

PreS-Gr 2—After the first few riotous minutes of this story (Blue Sky Press, 2008), written and illustrated by David Shannon, it's obvious that Spencer has too many toys. He has toys of every imaginable type that are all over the house and yard. The hoard keeps getting bigger, as he gets toys from family, friends, teachers, and others for birthdays, for holidays, for good behavior, and for eating kids' meals. So many toys are a hazard, and Mom decides some of them have to go. She soon learns that the child is emotionally attached to every toy he owns, regardless of its condition. After extensive negotiations, one small box of toys is packed up to be given away. However, Spencer finds that the best toy that he absolutely can't part with is the box itself! Jerry Trainor's exuberant narration perfectly reflects the absurdity, the emotion, and the chaos of the story. The comical characters are delightfully animated by Soup2Nuts, making space-helmet-wearing Spencer and his playthings romp, soar, and bounce across the screen. In a bonus interview, Shannon talks about his development as an illustrator and reveals that this story was inspired by his daughter, who also has too many toys. Viewers will identify with Spencer and adults will empathize with his parents and their predicament.—MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools, Binghamton, NY