Elephant Learns to Share: A Book about Sharing

by Sue Graves, Trevor Dunton (Illustrator)

This new series of picture books provide a great introduction to discussing emotions for preschoolers.

Each book in this series is perfect for talking about emotions, boosting self-esteem, and reinforcing good behavior for preschoolers. This vibrant set with illustrated animals is designed for sharing in a classroom, or at home, with key discussion words that pop in bold type.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

Published December 7, 2021

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about learning to share / importance of sharing. Having an only child, this is an important book to read. Overall, I think the message got across to my 4 year old. The illustrations were fun and colorful, and the story was short and sweet, giving it a 4/5 stars ⭐️

[Gabrielle Sandford-Marshall]

ELEPHANT LEARNS TO SHARE - A BOOK ABOUT SHARING

This is such a lovely short narrative with the morals of kindness and sharing with others. With links to opportunities to be kind in the classroom, this text would be a great start to a discussion about how we can be more considerate. A fantastic class talk text or end of the day read!

[Capn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a hit with the knee-high at school, and so we asked to borrow it for a re-read.

I don't know what was so fascinating about this, if I'm honest. Illustrations are expressive and show strong and relatable childhood emotions. Consequences of selfish behaviour in the individual and its effect upon group dynamics clearly delineated (ha ha ha - yeah, I just wrote that! And I'll post it, too!).

I didn't see anything worth paraphrasing or censoring or replacing. I don't think you should do that, either. EXPLAIN your objections to whatever it is you object to - it'll give the kid so much more insight into life: into what you think (and why - it will really help them to understand you and the issue at hand!), into the fallibility of authors: can and should we follow what we see in print/on TV/on TikTok blindly? Can mistakes be made by authors? Do all characters we read about behave just as we should? How about other children and people in general? What about "simplification" - does a story like this need to cover every contingency or aspect of reality, really?! Can your personal opinion or viewpoint or lifestyle differ to the stories we read?! YES! Let's think about why that is! Let's discuss why that is! This is so much more productive and helpful to everyone, especially young children who are seeking to understand both your views/values and the world at large!

In short - please don't edit stories like this. You might be missing an opportunity to teach a kid to think... If you would typically use the term "angry" rather than "cross", don't substitute - you can add "Cross is the British way of saying angry", or wait for them to ask. Then they'll have expanded both their vocabulary and their understanding of the world... they'll know yet another meaning of the word "cross" (noun, verb, adjective) - a great segwe into discussing words, and puns, and even homonyms...!

(This is becoming a rant. I don't care. It worries the heck out of me that anyone could find anything to censor or change about this very, very bland little story about how sharing makes kids think better of you and want to play with you...). :S

One final point, if I may - if you are the sort of parent who worries that your kid will be unduly influenced by behaviour seen/heard/read in a book, there's a simple and effective solution here that may have eluded you - READ MORE. A LOT MORE. READ ALLLLL THE BOOKS! Then, they'll have seen all manner of characters, of circumstances, of speech! And they'll be equipped to deal with wider society, where all manner of characters, of circumstances, and of varying manners and mannerisms exist!

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A handy book about learning to share. It looks at ways that elephant doesn't share, the consequences (his friends not wanting to play with him), reflection, and trying to make amends. Note - as an allergy parent I changed the snack example to sharing the table rather than food.

Miss 4 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about a selfish elephant who does not want to share. It comes back to him later when he wants a friend, but no one wants to play with him because he is not nice and won't share his toys with the others. It is a good way for kids to learn the importance of sharing.

[Ms. Madalyn]

This book is a little long to read for storytime, but still a great resource on learning to share.

[Greg S · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a fine book with nice illustrations, but I had to skip and edit out some words and phrases as I read it aloud.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved this whole series ^_^

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part is Elephant's grandma made HIM think of ways to correct his problem and did not just give him a solution. She validated his ideas.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the Behavior Matters! series.
Elephant does not want to share anything. He learns a hard lesson when his friends no longer want to play with him. His grandma helps him understand how to change and do better. He apologizes and discovers how much fun it is to share and play together.
The message works and the illustrations are delightful.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fab story that i can see having multiple uses. Children can read alone or have the story read to them. Lots of discussion points in the back also.