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Spencer has too many toys!Ā He gets them from his parents, his friends, his Auntie Mim and Uncle Fred, Grandma Bobo, Poppy and Grandiddy.Ā He gets them at school, at the dentist, at the doctor, and at the drive-thru.Ā
The Spencer Iām talking about is the character in David Shannonās fantastic read, Too Many Toys .Ā Though the similarities between the Spencer in the book and my own little guy with the same nameĀ is soĀ eerie, there are times I wondered if David Shannon might have been in our home recently as part of an undercover research mission.Ā This might as well have been a custom-made book!
Spencerās mom (both the real one and the fictional one) finally has had enough with all those toys!Ā But when she suggests getting rid of a few, Spencer (both the real one and the fictional one) resists, hesitates, and negotiates.Ā Finally, they whittle down the toy supply, which is when Spencer discovers that the very best toy he hasĀ is his own imagination.
I picked up this book as I was shopping for the āsomething to readā portion of our kidsā Christmas list.Ā Ā Our familyĀ has been David Shannon fans for a while now, reveling in theĀ David series as well as Alice the Fairy and the Trucktown series he collaborates on.Ā His stories are always clever, funny, andĀ portray childhood in a way few can.Ā So the familiar cover illustrations staring up from the bookshelf wereĀ quick to catch my eye.Ā A few page flips in and I was sold!
It helped that just a few days before picking up this book, I was having a very serious discussion with my boys about why no one could actually get every single toy in the world for Christmasā¦even if they were the very most well-behavedĀ childrenĀ in the history of mankind.Ā Couple that with the main characterās name and the all-too-familiar request to thin out the toy collection, and this book buyĀ was a no-brainer.Ā This one will certainly be sitting under the tree at our house this Christmas, andĀ Iām quite sure it will be a frequent favoriteĀ at storytime as well.Ā
If you too can relate a little too well with Spencerās mom and dad (both the real ones and the fictional ones)Ā Check out this guestpost by Mandi Ehman of Lifeā¦Your WayĀ at Blissfully Domestic for Decluttering and Organizing Childrenās Toys.Ā Thinning the toys before Christmas can be helpful.Ā I have friends who have had great success with their children sorting out their toys to make donations to those less fortunate andĀ others who finally had success only when they promised their children all procedes from their contributions to the family yard sale.Ā At my houseā¦.for now we operate on the āhide it in the trunk of the car for a few weeks, and if no one asks for it, drive it on down to the donation centerā method.Ā It may not be perfect, but it seems to maintain everyoneās sanity.
How do you keep from having too many toys?Ā
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