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Show and Tell
Ben wreaks havoc at school when he decides to bring his baby sister for show and tell.
24 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1991
About the author
Robert Munsch
292 books1,728 followersRobert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Fordham University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and from Boston University in 1971 with a Master of Arts degree in anthropology.
He studied to become a Jesuit priest, but decided he would rather work with children after jobs at orphanages and daycare centers. In 1973, he received a Master of Education in Child Studies from Tufts University. In 1975 he moved to Canada to work at the preschool at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. He also taught in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Guelph as a lecturer and as an assistant professor. In Guelph he was encouraged to publish the many stories he made up for the children he worked with.
Munsch's wife delivered two stillborn babies in 1979 and 1980. Out of the tragedy, he produced one of his best-known books, Love You Forever. This book was listed fourth on the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Best selling Children's Books list for paperbacks at 6,970,000 copies (not including the 1,049,000 hardcover copies). The Munsches have since become adoptive parents of Julie, Andrew and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!)
Munsch has obsessive-compulsive disorder and has also suffered from manic depression. In August 2008, Munsch suffered a stroke that affected his ability to speak in normal sentences. He has recovered enough that he is able to perform live, but has put his writing career on hold until he is fully recovered.
He studied to become a Jesuit priest, but decided he would rather work with children after jobs at orphanages and daycare centers. In 1973, he received a Master of Education in Child Studies from Tufts University. In 1975 he moved to Canada to work at the preschool at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. He also taught in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Guelph as a lecturer and as an assistant professor. In Guelph he was encouraged to publish the many stories he made up for the children he worked with.
Munsch's wife delivered two stillborn babies in 1979 and 1980. Out of the tragedy, he produced one of his best-known books, Love You Forever. This book was listed fourth on the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Best selling Children's Books list for paperbacks at 6,970,000 copies (not including the 1,049,000 hardcover copies). The Munsches have since become adoptive parents of Julie, Andrew and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!)
Munsch has obsessive-compulsive disorder and has also suffered from manic depression. In August 2008, Munsch suffered a stroke that affected his ability to speak in normal sentences. He has recovered enough that he is able to perform live, but has put his writing career on hold until he is fully recovered.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 24, 2019
I'm torn about this one. It's pretty funny in some parts, and has the signature repetition that I've come to expect from Munsch's books. Ben decides to take his baby sister to school for show and tell. He takes her in his knapsack, which the baby doesn't like. So the baby cries. This leads to the teacher, the principal, and a doctor to try to stop the baby from crying. They're all terribly inept adults, and Ben nails it when he asks, "What's the matter with this school?"
But I think what's causing the issue for me is the doctor and her giant needles. That part of the story could be funny for some kids, but absolutely terrifying and traumatizing for others. It implies that if you're sick, you need a needle full of something, which 1) isn't necessarily true, and 2) could make children worry unnecessarily and even keep their feelings of sickness to themselves for fear of getting stabbed with a syringe the size of a kindergartner.
I did like the ending (it's very meta), and the illustrations are great, as is usual in these books. Martchenko really did a great job with that last spread.
Overall, I don't know if I'd recommend Show and Tell. I think I'd have to be really sure the reader was okay with needles before even suggesting this one.
But I think what's causing the issue for me is the doctor and her giant needles. That part of the story could be funny for some kids, but absolutely terrifying and traumatizing for others. It implies that if you're sick, you need a needle full of something, which 1) isn't necessarily true, and 2) could make children worry unnecessarily and even keep their feelings of sickness to themselves for fear of getting stabbed with a syringe the size of a kindergartner.
I did like the ending (it's very meta), and the illustrations are great, as is usual in these books. Martchenko really did a great job with that last spread.
Overall, I don't know if I'd recommend Show and Tell. I think I'd have to be really sure the reader was okay with needles before even suggesting this one.
January 24, 2020
Wanting something really neat for Show and Tell, Ben takes his baby sister to school in his knapsack, with predictably (and delightfully) chaotic results. Waking up in this unfamiliar environment, the baby begins to wail, and cannot be silenced by all the efforts of the teacher, principal and school doctor. Eventually Ben must call his mother, who calms the baby and takes her and her brother home. The next day, Ben takes some other unusual things to Show and Tell, and so do all of his classmates...
Like so many of the other many books by Canadian author/illustrator team Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko, Show and Tell is an amusing romp of a picture-book. The surreal scenario, the over-the-top humor of both story and illustration - that HUGE needle the doctor breaks out! - these are sure to elicit a chuckle. Recommended to fans of this duo, as well as to those looking for humorous picture-books about Show-and-Tell and/or baby siblings.
Like so many of the other many books by Canadian author/illustrator team Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko, Show and Tell is an amusing romp of a picture-book. The surreal scenario, the over-the-top humor of both story and illustration - that HUGE needle the doctor breaks out! - these are sure to elicit a chuckle. Recommended to fans of this duo, as well as to those looking for humorous picture-books about Show-and-Tell and/or baby siblings.
January 7, 2019
Cute, funny in a way that kids will like (but I as a cantankerous adult don't necessarily love) ending scene is a really good nod to other Munsch books.
May 2, 2019
Really like it and so did the kids.
May 16, 2010
Another winner from Munsch!
Like all Munsch books, this book starts with an absurd premise - a boy brings his baby sister to school for show-and-tell - some over-the-top adult goofiness - the teacher makes the baby cry by rocking her too quickly, the nurse decides to give the baby a shot for crying and pulls out a HUGE needle bigger than the baby! - and a cheerfully silly happy ending - afterwards everybody brings something silly and special for show-and-tell. (This is a great scene, because you can find characters from other Munsch books in the illustrations!)
No redeeming value, no moral, just pure fun. Love it!
Like all Munsch books, this book starts with an absurd premise - a boy brings his baby sister to school for show-and-tell - some over-the-top adult goofiness - the teacher makes the baby cry by rocking her too quickly, the nurse decides to give the baby a shot for crying and pulls out a HUGE needle bigger than the baby! - and a cheerfully silly happy ending - afterwards everybody brings something silly and special for show-and-tell. (This is a great scene, because you can find characters from other Munsch books in the illustrations!)
No redeeming value, no moral, just pure fun. Love it!
March 31, 2023
Don't miss the last page, which pays homage to Munsch's other stories. In The Munschworks Grand Treasury this is the penultimate, and the last, A Promise Is a Promise, looks very different.
The other reader who suggested that the doctor's needle is unnecessarily traumatizing is not wrong. However, the needle is so very ridiculous, I do believe children will recognize it as satire (esp. because satire is Munsch's middle name) and also that they can say to themselves 'well at least my real doctor wouldn't do anything like this to me).
So now I'm almost done with this collection!
The other reader who suggested that the doctor's needle is unnecessarily traumatizing is not wrong. However, the needle is so very ridiculous, I do believe children will recognize it as satire (esp. because satire is Munsch's middle name) and also that they can say to themselves 'well at least my real doctor wouldn't do anything like this to me).
So now I'm almost done with this collection!
December 23, 2018
This book is so cute; it's about how a little boy wants to take his baby sister for show and tell. It starts fine. However, the baby wakes up, and from then on she will not stop crying.
Every single person you can think of tried so many different things to make this baby stop crying, but none of them work.
Sometimes a girl only needs her mama to rock her and make her feel safe when she's surrounded by a bunch of weirdos.
I looooove the illustration at the end that shows so many familiar characters bringing all sorts of things to show and tell.
My heart was rather happy!
Every single person you can think of tried so many different things to make this baby stop crying, but none of them work.
Sometimes a girl only needs her mama to rock her and make her feel safe when she's surrounded by a bunch of weirdos.
I looooove the illustration at the end that shows so many familiar characters bringing all sorts of things to show and tell.
My heart was rather happy!
August 21, 2023
Hello Book Peeps
Can't say much about this one except that I found some of the things the adults did questionable.
This one was at least a bit better than 50 Below Zero but not by enough to warrant a different star rating than that book.
Happy Reading
Jo
Can't say much about this one except that I found some of the things the adults did questionable.
This one was at least a bit better than 50 Below Zero but not by enough to warrant a different star rating than that book.
Happy Reading
Jo
August 14, 2017
Oh my goodness I wish there were a option of 1000,000,000 stars ⭐️
April 13, 2018
Ben took his baby sister to school in his knapsack for show-and-tell, but no one knows how to stop her from crying. That was a problem. Funny illustrations.
February 5, 2020
I'm taking my baby sister to show and tell, what could possibly go wrong?
August 29, 2020
Ages 7 and up. A comical story of a boy who decides to bring his baby sister to school for show and tell. Set in an Asian family in Canada.
February 1, 2021
Lord, that needle!
February 13, 2024
Cute story of a brother wanting to show off his little sister. Though things don’t go quite as planned. Nobody can clam a baby down quite like a mother .
February 2, 2025
Over-the-top, and excellent.
There's a whole story, and an extra (related" scene at the end.
There's a whole story, and an extra (related" scene at the end.
August 31, 2025
Child kidnaps sister, every adult they encounter fails to be a rational adult human. The mom’s reaction is also a little sus but she’s the most sane out of anyone in this book.
January 10, 2026
调皮的娃，倒霉的妈，消失的他
February 25, 2026
Benjamin wants to bring something excellent for show and tell and so he brings his baby sister, but doesn't tell his mother first.
December 31, 2020
In Show and Tell , Robert Munsch tells the story of Ben, a young boy who wants to wow his classmates at show and tell. Overly eager, Ben decides to bring in his little baby sister to show the class without asking his mom. Upon arrival, however, the baby's crying alerts the principal and his mom is called in to come and get her baby. Ben returns his sister and proceeds to bring in even more crazy things to present to the class at show and tell.
The shock-factor of a little boy bringing in his baby sister without telling anybody is hilarious and poignant. It is both a realistic and ridiculous scenario. However, the mom comes to retrieve her missing baby early on into Show and Tell and the rest of the book fell kind of flat for me. I wish Munsch had played up the baby as show and tell more throughout the book and/or used his classic predictable repetitive style to introduce more silly and unimaginable things for Ben to bring in to show and tell. That said, the images were hilarious and engaging throughout.
The shock-factor of a little boy bringing in his baby sister without telling anybody is hilarious and poignant. It is both a realistic and ridiculous scenario. However, the mom comes to retrieve her missing baby early on into Show and Tell and the rest of the book fell kind of flat for me. I wish Munsch had played up the baby as show and tell more throughout the book and/or used his classic predictable repetitive style to introduce more silly and unimaginable things for Ben to bring in to show and tell. That said, the images were hilarious and engaging throughout.
January 29, 2015
This story is hilarious.
Ben decides he's going to take his baby sister in his back pack for show and tell, but he didn't seem to count on the fact that when she woke up she would scream and cry.
The noise frustrates his teacher who tries to sooth the child and goes about it all wrong. The principal comes down to see what the matter is and can't get the child to stop screaming so they call in a doctor.
Mean while Ben's mum can't find the baby.
The children in my class love to read along with me, so while I read the story they read out the Whaa, whaa, whaa crying sounds and the "nah, to small" when the doctors looking for her needle.
We always have giggles when this book comes out, from the children and the teachers. :0)
Ben decides he's going to take his baby sister in his back pack for show and tell, but he didn't seem to count on the fact that when she woke up she would scream and cry.
The noise frustrates his teacher who tries to sooth the child and goes about it all wrong. The principal comes down to see what the matter is and can't get the child to stop screaming so they call in a doctor.
Mean while Ben's mum can't find the baby.
The children in my class love to read along with me, so while I read the story they read out the Whaa, whaa, whaa crying sounds and the "nah, to small" when the doctors looking for her needle.
We always have giggles when this book comes out, from the children and the teachers. :0)
December 19, 2009
Today is show-and-tell at school and Benjamin decides to bring something unique, his baby sister. He puts her in his back pack and goes off to school.
Then Ben sits down for class his sister wakes up crying. The teacher is horrified but takes the baby in her arms to sooth her but she can't get her to quite down. The principal comes in and tells the baby, "Hey, you! Be Quiet!" The baby keeps crying. The principal decides the baby is sick and calls the doctor in. Of course that only makes her cry more.
Ben's baby sister does finally stop crying but, to find out more you will have to read the book.
This is a fun book with bright colourful pictures for little children. Recommended.
Then Ben sits down for class his sister wakes up crying. The teacher is horrified but takes the baby in her arms to sooth her but she can't get her to quite down. The principal comes in and tells the baby, "Hey, you! Be Quiet!" The baby keeps crying. The principal decides the baby is sick and calls the doctor in. Of course that only makes her cry more.
Ben's baby sister does finally stop crying but, to find out more you will have to read the book.
This is a fun book with bright colourful pictures for little children. Recommended.
November 23, 2010
Ben decides to take a unique object to school for show and tell, however, the unique objects happens to be his baby sister that he puts inside his backpack! The baby causes quite a commotion when she realizes that her mother is not around to comfort her!
This book would be good to use for predictions prior to reading. Read the story and see if any of the students predicted that he would bring his baby sister in! Students can then write about an object that they would love to bring to school but know it would not be appropriate to. They could also draw their object to go along with their writing piece and present it as a show and tell.
This book would be good to use for predictions prior to reading. Read the story and see if any of the students predicted that he would bring his baby sister in! Students can then write about an object that they would love to bring to school but know it would not be appropriate to. They could also draw their object to go along with their writing piece and present it as a show and tell.
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June 30, 2008Bro took his baby sister to school for show & tell IN HIS BACKPACK? REALLY? gah. And when the teacher and principal couldn't get her to stop crying, they called a DOCTOR? REALLY? Not her mom?
As you can tell . . . we didn't like this book much. Mommy has trouble suspending belief for stories that are in all other ways supposed to be realistic.
As you can tell . . . we didn't like this book much. Mommy has trouble suspending belief for stories that are in all other ways supposed to be realistic.
August 4, 2010
Ben decides to take his baby sister for show and tell...but all she does is WAAA, WAAAA, WAAAAA! The teacher can't make her quiet, the principal can't make her quiet, and the doctor with her GREAT BIG needle can't make her quiet either. Robert Munsch's Show and Tell is a silly story with a sillier ending.
Used for "Show & Tell" Storytime- October, 2010.
Used for "Show & Tell" Storytime- October, 2010.
May 26, 2008
Another, rather typical Robert Munsch book. Fun to read. Kids get a kick out of it. But for the most part not particularly memorable.
A good read for that bed-time book when you're looking for something light and different.
A good read for that bed-time book when you're looking for something light and different.
March 27, 2008
We first started reading this when Annaka was first born and all the kids would giggle and tell me that they now "knew" what to take for show and tell that week.
April 17, 2008
I really like Robert Munsch but have only included my absolute favorites--Kate would have taken her baby sister for show and tell if she could have gotten away with it.
October 31, 2008
I love this book about how everyone panics when a little boy brings his crying baby sister in to school for show and tell. Great story!
October 10, 2012
Great for the kindergarten years.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews