What can children learn from a greedy pig and a toy-obsessed bunny? Some valuable lessons if the animals are the protagonists of All for Me and None for All and Betty Bunny Wants Everything. In the former, a picture book by Helen Lester, illustrations by Lynn Munsinger, Gruntly is a selfish young hog, who not only refuses to share with others, he also likes to help himself to what his friends have. In one funny scene, Gruntly is constantly sneaking up on Woolworth the sheep and Cluck the chicken to snatch extra wool and feathers for his pillows. His motto is: “All for me and none for all!” One day, the animals gather at the park for a treasure hunt. Gruntly is so intent on getting to the treasure first and keeping it all for himself that he runs off before he hears the entire clue. In the end, the other more-patient animals find the treasure first, which turn out to be bags of trail mix. A crestfallen Gruntly is surprised and touched to learn that his friends have saved the last bag for him—especially considering how he’s always hogged things for himself. Lesson learned, the humbled hog decides to share his treat with his friends. He hasn’t totally changed. After all, he is still a hog. But his new motto is now: “Allllllmost all for me. But some for all!” Humorous text and expressive watercolors by Lester and Munsinger (the same creative duo behind Tacky the Penguin) ensure that the lesson here will be well received by its intended audience, children ages 4 to 8.
In Betty Bunny Wants Everything by Michael B. Kaplan, illustrations by Stéphane Jorisch, the spirited bunny we first met in Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake,returns for a family outing to the toy store. As a special treat, each child is told that he or she can pick out one toy. But like any little kid, Betty Bunny wants more. In addition to the “little stuffed bunny that looked a lot like her,” Betty wants practically every toy in the toy store. When her older sister explains, “You can’t have everything you want,” she responds: “But I want everything I want.” Things really get out of hand when Betty Bunny fills the shopping cart to the point where it’s overflowing with toys she doesn’t even know what they are. All she knows is that “the little bunnies pictured on the boxes looked like they were having the most fun ever. Betty Bunny wanted to have the most fun ever.” Finally, when her mother scoops her up and takes her home without a toy, Betty has a full-out meltdown. At home, Betty Bunny continues to cry for attention and tries to enlist her father’s sympathy (“I have the meanest mommy in the whole world”). But her parents stand firm and come up with a solution that (sort of) teaches Betty about money and why you can’t have everything you want. The realistic emotions and humorous, snide comments from the older siblings make for an engaging tale with an important message.
Can you suggest other books that help kids learn to share and make do with less?
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