Sharing

by Rosemary Wells, Rosemary Wells (Illustrator)

Overview

From beloved author-illustrator Rosemary Wells comes a sweet and relatable picture book about how friends are so much better than things and what a wonderful feeling it is to share.

Every night, Charles puts his favorite things to bed: his little doctor kit, his racing skates, his space man, his xylophone, his magic stars, his alligator, his Lionel Messi football, and his pecka-pecka chicken farm.

One day, Charles takes his toys to the park, where he meets some other kids who wants to play with him…but can Charles learn to share his favorite things?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665975162
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	09/02/2025
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	66 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Rosemary Wells is the author of more than one hundred and twenty books for children in her forty-five-year career, including more than forty about the beloved bunnies, Max and Ruby, who star in their own television show on Nick Jr. She lives in New England. Visit her online at RosemaryWells.com.

Editorial Reviews

2025-05-16
A young mouse learns to share his beloved possessions with others.

Charles’ parents think it’s time he socialized with other children, so he and his mother head to the park, where kids approach him and the tempting pile of toys he’s brought from home. Nigel is curious about Charles’ xylophone; Charles is delighted to share it with him. And, of course, Monica can drive his fire engine! Charles agreeably hands over each of his treasures, even when his astronaut toy becomes marooned in a tree and another child uses up the contents of his doctor kit. (Observant readers will notice that Charles’ smile falters, but his demeanor otherwise remains calm and unaffected.) When Charles’ mother wonders where all his belongings have gone, he replies, “I shared them with my friends. And friends are better than things,” concluding the narrative with a heavy-handed moral. Charles seems either too meek to protest his toys being mishandled or implausibly mature for his age, never bristling at the prospect of sharing with strangers. Young children and their grown-ups know all too well that this isn’t a realistic portrayal of playground sharing, and without any of the story’s challenges faced head-on, the tidy message rings hollow. Wells’ signature warm, anthropomorphic illustration style is as appealing as ever, portraying Charles and friends as cheerful gray mice.

A sweet but unconvincing tale of cooperation.(Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews