On the day before Amanda got out of school for Thanksgiving break, she had to decorate five feathers that would be stuck on her turkey. Each feather had to list one thing she was thankful for. She asked me, “Do you think it would be okay to say that I’m thankful that you have the 5 Minutes for Books site because we get a lot of really great books and stuff?”
It was funny, but she’s right. I too am thankful that my hobby of reading has turned into a bit of a job here and at the new site. I’d always be reading, but one of the perks is that we do get to look at so many books that we might not normally even know about.
So a few weeks ago, four-year-old Kyle was resisting naptime, so I was able to pull something fun out of my hat as an incentive,. “Oh — I have a cool new book we can read as a bedtime story,” I said as I brought 
Too Many Toys by David Shannon to his room. “Look, it’s called Too Many Toys.”
“Like I have too many toys,” he said (catching on quickly). “But I don’t want to give them away!”
As you might imagine, this book is about a young boy who had too many toys. His family tripped over them, he hoarded even the ones that were broken, and his mom finally decided that some of them had to go!
This book is illustrated in David Shannon’s typical bright and whimsical style. I think that kids are attracted to the larger-than-life characterizations of the children, parents, and even inanimate objects.
Kyle enjoyed it, chuckling in all the right places, and has even asked to hear it again. As for me — well, it’s inspired me to clear out some of those toys, and to even think twice about what I buy — for my kids and others — this holiday season.
Check it out and see if you don’t agree that there are Too Many Toys in your home as well.
I wouldn’t want to add to the problem, but books don’t count as toys, right? We all need books, so are giving away 3 copies. Leave a comment and I’ll announce the winners in December 8th’s book column. This contest is open to US shipping addresses. Due to legal restrictions, this promotion is not available in Arizona.
Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions of Use for a complete list of our Contest and Giveaway Rules.
I don’t have any winners to announce today, because the two contests from last week are still open. You can enter to win the new book by J.K. Rowling HERE and a Klutz activity book prize pack HERE.
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We love David Shannon, and you’re right another book can never count as a surplus toy.
Cheers
You can never have too many books! Love it!
This book looks like it would be right up our alley. You can never have too many books!
Sounds like a great book!
we are big david shannon fans in this house! our favorite pages in “no david” are getting a bit worn…
we’d love to win a copy of this new book!
We would like a copy. Thanks for the contest.
I agree… you can never have too many books! Count us in. Thanks for the chance!
Yeah I agree can never have too many books!
We definitely have too many toys. Just tonight, a friend suggested that we wrap up toys our toddler already had and give them to him again for Christmas. He won’t notice. It’s all about the joy of unwrapping.
We’ve got a growing toy problem on our hands – sounds like we could use this book!
Sounds like a great book!
Gosh, do I ever feel like there are too many toys around here.
We definitely have too many toys. I don’t think there is such a thing as too many books. My husband would disagree, but oh well!
Oh, man, do we ever need this book!
sounds like a great book- when we have too many books we donate them to the daycare, the school and the library…the kids know if I step on or get flipped with a book I am going to say too many toys- time to clean…would love to read this
I would love a little bit of inspriation to get rid of some of the toys! Sounds like a cute book. Thanks!
Sounds like an excellent book!
I’m a Librarian who is about to become a mom – would love this in our collection! Sounds like a fun book – I’ll make sure our public library has it too…
you can never have to many books but to many toys I think that make kids not have to use there imaginations
I’d love to win!
we love the “David” books so we’d love this one too!
Wow! That’s just like my son and the argument we have every day!
My 7 year old daughter needs this book! We are currently having issues with the too many toys thing for Christmas this year.
We love David Shannon in our house. Count me in!!!
I’d love to add this book to our nighttime reading.
Sounds like a great read. Our girls love books as well. We have quite a few but I too do not consider books as toys. One always needs a good book.
Thanks so much for sharing your review and a copy of the book!
Oh wow, this book looks really interesting. Thanks for a great giveaway
This looks like a wonderful book!
This book looks like something the kids would enjoy and can relate to. We have tons of books and always welcome more.
We definitely have too many toys and we probably have too many books…but we love them all.
Please enter me, thanks!
Please enter me…I love david shannon books. and my boys definitely have too many toys!
My sidebar sports a 5M4M button. Woo hoo.
I subscribe to your newsfeed.
I also get your newsletter. Thanks for the great giveaways.
This book sounds great! As always, thank you very much for your wonderful giveaways.
four2vero@hotmail.com
My daughters are veteran garage sale shoppers and always come home with dozens of stuffed animals they got for a quarter or a dime apiece. Maybe this book will help get the message across and reduce the clutter!
Thanks for a great book suggestion! Just in case we don’t win, I’m putting it on hold at the library. We love books!
enter me please
We love books and we’re trying to pair down toys, so this sounds perfect.
My sons would love this!
I agree – you can never have too many books!
What a great book. Count me in. Thanks for the chance.
My granddaughter loves David Shannon’s books!
I know some little girls who need this book.
Cute book – I have 3 little greatgrands who would love it.
NEVER have too many toys..just not enough storage!
I’d love to win a copy of this book. My daughter loves books.
Please enter me to win this.
My son’s stepdaughter loves the David Shannon books. This would be the icing on the cake for her.
Books are the one thing that I have a hard time getting rid of. You can NEVER have too many books. But too many TOYS is a concept my kids certainly need to learn!
Count us in! We *heart* books!
That is something we definitely have: TOO MANY TOYS! Need more books!
We really need this book.
love to win this
I love to read to the grand daughter. Thanks so much!
Even my grandchildren think they have too many toys. One of them told me their house looks like a Toys R US! lol I would love to give them this book!
mittens0831 AT aol.com
I wonder if my son’s picture is in this book. Thanks for the contest.
very cool count me in
Maybe after reading this book, we can clear out some of the toys?!?!?
David Shannon is one of my favorite children’s book writers. I just love reading his stories to my kids.
David Shannon’s books are so much fun, thanks!
I have 3 kids, would love this book!!
Sounds like a fun book!
i am interested
books stack MUCH easier than toys–count me in! thanks!
sylviarj@yahoo.com
this book looks so great! love books – hate toys!
I agree, books are better than toys. My daughter and I would love to have this one!
We love David Shannon! This is the first I’ve heard of this book. Can’t wait to read it.
hmmm we just had a “too many toys” talk with my 4 yr old dd and 10 yr old son just the other day….This would be SO appropriate for us to read before bed lol
THanks for the chance to win!
We would love to win this!
This looks great, we love his other books.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
I’d love to win this. Please enter my name. Thanks.
IF I WOULD WIN, I WOULD GIVE TO MY FRIEND…HIS NICKANME FOR HIS FARMING BUSINESS IS “TOO MANY TOYS”!!!
LOVe to read!
This would be a great book for my son.
David Shannon is great. Hope we win!
count me in
Sounds like a great book
I love this author!
Sounds like a really cute story.
I agree, you can’t have too many good books.Fortunately they’re easy too store. I would like to read this to my 4 year old grandson who has way too many toys!
smchester at gmail dot com
We would love this book!
My kids love books – but YES we have way too many toys!!!
What a great title for a book – and such an important message! I’ve been feeling quite overwhelmed by all of our “stuff” lately and I think this book would be ideal for talking to my 2-year-old daughter about how “things” are not very important. People matter most.
Please enter me. Thank you!
We really enjoy books and have read quite a few of David shannon’s books and really liked them. Thanks for this chance.
I want to win
I have too many toys and we are getting ready to purge! I’d love to share this with my family and classroom.
While you could have too many toys, it would be hard to have too many books! We’d love to win!
Too many toys yes, too many books NEVER.
Sounds like the perfect book for my house!
We are currently LOVING this book from the library!! Would love to add it to our personal home library.
Oh, you can never have too many books! We have several of David Shannon’s David books since my son’s name is David. I think my David, who’s also 4, would enjoy this one too!
would love to win
Sounds perfect! We are definitely working on the idea of passing on some toys.
My daughter would like to read this!
Love it, this is awesome… and so true.
another great giveaway… please count me in.. i love the idea of giving kids books…start the love for them when they are young.
just to cdool
This looks like fun!
Looks like a great book for my son!
Sounds like a great book.
This looks great!!!
I think we need to read this book at my house!
Looks cute. Thanks.
Heidi
sweet_soul_sistermi@yahoo.com
Love David Shannon! Fingers crossed!
I could use a little encouragement to clear out some toys. We 6 children, ages 15 yrs to 11 mo….we keep toys around because someone will eventually want to play with it. My children are usually not too hard on their toys…so, we often do not have broken toys. It would be nice to donate some to a new home.
My son loved David Shannon and I am sure he would love this one! Thanks, justicecw@hotmail.com
such a great prize
Looks great.
David shannon is great, i love his book “duck on a bike” would love this one
Sounds like a great book
Please, enter me, great prize!!!
Sounds like a cute book–thanks!
Looking forward to it. Winning I mean.
enter me
That looks like a happy little boy on the front of the book – what a lucky boy to have TOO MANY TOYS!
Thanks for the giveaway!
ladyspy79@aol.com
Sounds like a fun book — Thanks for the giveaway.
Sweet niblets!
thanks for the chance
Looks great! Thanks for the giveaway!
What an adorable book- and potentially beneficial:)
bloggerprofilepage@michmedia.com
I *might* have too many books. They’re costly in a move.
I am positive we have too many toys. We’re in the process of clearing some out this week.
You can absolutely have too many toys but I feel otherwise about books!
Another great contest, please enter me.
I’m also a newsletter subscriber.
Looks very cute.
Sounds fabulous!!
Im also an email subscriber!!
We love the “David” books at our house!
I didn’t realize David Shannon has another book out. I love all that he does!
This is a book my kids need!!!
you’re right we do need books! thanks
This looks like a really cute book!
Love his other books, and this one looks very fitting for our household. Definitely one I’d like to add to our collection.
I always encouraged my daughter to read and now she’s doing the same with her daughter. I would like to win this book for them.
please enter me in this great contest thanks
My wife told the boys she would always buy them a book. They are breaking the bank.
This would be fantastic for a family friend
would love to win and thanks for the opportunity!!! Love to REad!!!!!
I’d love to win this and share it with my sons and first grade students!!
Count me in please!
I just cleaned out all of the broken and unused toys in my house, and it still seems like there are too many! Thanks for the great giveaway!
Teresa690[at]gmail[dot]com
Sounds like an awesome book!
Looks like a great read!
would love to win
I love discovering new authors and new books.
Please enter me
Looks like a cute book.
Great title!
We are big David Shannon fans too! We would love to win this book!
Another wonderful read on a cold winter day! I would love to win this funny educational whimiscal book!
Thanks for the great givaway!
Sounds like a very true book, would love to win it for the boys
Books are the windows to the world!
This sounds like a cute and useful book
*Thanks* for the giveaway!
This sounds like a great book–please add my name! Thank you for the contest!
Sounds like a great book!
You can never have too many books!
Love books and you can never have enough. Thanks for the cute giveaway
His books are always great. I work at a library and the kids are constantly checking them out. Great giveaway.
many of our students have no books in their home. i’d love to win this and give it to one of our students.
Great giveaway, thanks
I would love to enter!! Thanks!
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