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    Too Many Toys
    Too Many Toys
    Too Many Toys
    Audiobook9 minutes

    Too Many Toys

    Written by David Shannon

    Narrated by Jerry Trainer

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Spencer has too many toys! His father trips over them, his mother falls over them, and the house os overflowing with junk. Now it's time to give some of the mountain of goodies away, but Spencer finds it hard. In the end, he fills a box, but decides the oe toy he can't part with is the box!
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWeston Woods
    Release dateJan 1, 2011
    ISBN9780545836494
    Too Many Toys
    Author

    David Shannon

    DAVID SHANNON is the illustrator of many popular picture books, including How I Became a Pirate. His numerous awards include a Caldecott Honor for No, David! He lives in Burbank, California.

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    Reviews for Too Many Toys

    4.5/5

    93 ratings28 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
       I liked this book for a few reasons. First, I liked that it seems to be written from the point of view of a parent with a lot of experience with this problem. Especially when he talks about tripping while carrying laundry and stepping on legos barefoot. Secondly, I think the author does a nice job of pushing young readers to think about whether they may have too many toys too. I think that the message of the book is that most children have too many toys but sometimes the a box and an imagination are more fun.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      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, too. Lots of lessons you can use with this book that are relevant to young children.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      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 is smart enough to get rid of the others.
    • 5/5
      This book was a wonderful text to use to show how good readers read the way the author wants them to.This book has a ton of clues to the reader to read with the correct type of expression. I would also, use this book to teach how could readers read the punctuation marks correctly.Prediction is another skill that I could incorporate when I use this text.
    • 5/5
      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, fantastic book though!
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book by David Shannon. Living with younger siblings, I know what it's like to have too many toys in the house. I could relate to this story, even now, because I hate getting rid of my things. I just love that, at the end, Spencer finds simple joy in a box, much like kids always do.
    • 4/5
      This is a very fun and cute book about a young boy who has too many toys. His mother makes him sit down andgo through all of them to only keep a few. In the end he realizes using his imagination with a box is the best toy ever!
    • 5/5
      This is a very cute story about a little boy who simply has too many toys. His mom tells him that he needs to pack up a box of toys to give away and in the end he is able to appreciate the smallest things. It's told in a very overdramatized way as if it was written from the viewpoint of a child (in which everything is larger than life and more exciting.). I enjoyed the book, the way it was told, and the lesson that it taught.
    • 4/5
      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 " that's my favorite" even though I hadn't played with it in a very long time.
    • 4/5
      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 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. (!!!!!!!!!)
    • 4/5
      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. 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.
    • 4/5
      This book is about a child who has entirely too many toys. He receives toys from drive-thrus, family members, parties, etc. His mother has had enough, and forces him to give away some of his most prized possessions. To his mother's surprise, the child doesn't agree to give away the box the toys are placed in. He empties the box, which infuriates his mother, but explains how he just couldn't get rid of the box. Smarty-pants!
    • 4/5
      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".
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 2/5
      Bright, eye-catching illustrations and a story about simple joys winning out over complex, expensive toys.
    • 5/5
      Spencer was the main character, who had way to many TOYS. He would receive toy after toy from his relatives and friends. Spencer loved his toys with all his heart. The bad thing was that the toys were harmful to his parent’s they were always getting hurt from the toys. His mom wanted to get rid of a lot of the toys because he didn’t play with them anymore. Spencer and his mother went through all the toys and picked which toy stayed or went.
    • 4/5
      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".
    • 4/5
      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. 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.
    • 5/5
      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 Appropriateness: primary
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      This book should be, could be aptly titled-How to create a Hoarder. Delightful, and rather realistic. Very good.
    • 4/5
      Most parents will be able to relate to this feeling of drowning in a sea of toys. And most parents will relate to this mother's solution (and then frustration) when trying to purge. This book may have been just mediocre, except that ending was so very true, and got a laugh out loud from me.
    • 4/5
      Weeding out toys is an ordeal many parents and children go though. I loved how this story ended on an imaginative note! :)
    • 5/5
      David Shannon does it again. With his wonderfully simple story telling and his bright illustrations he tells the tale of too many toys and our childrens death grip on their property and that their release comes at a price. Too true to life. Hilarious.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      Spencer has tons of toys. His toys leave a trail through his house, which doesn't make his parents happy. His mom and dad are always tripping over his toys. His mother says he should give some of the ones he doesn't play with away, but for Spencer it's hard. He finally packs a box filled with toys to give away but he then realizes the toy he wants to keep his the box. This story was very funny. It shows how kids really are it's not about the toys really but the simple things like a box that can really make them happy.