Too Many Toys - Audio

by David Shannon

Caldecott Honor winner and bestselling author-illustrator David Shannon makes readers laugh aloud when young Spencer's mountain of toys becomes overwhelming.



Jerry Trainor
Paperback book & CD

Spencer has too many toys! His father trips over them, his mother falls over them, and the house is overflowing with junk. Now its time to give some of the mountain of goodies away, but Spencer finds it hard. In the end, he fills a box, but decides the one toy he can't part with is the box!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Family, Storytime

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

David Shannon is the author and illustrator of many highly praised books for children. Born in Washington, D.C., he grew up in Spokane, Washington. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, with a fine arts degree, and then moved to New York City. His editorial illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, Time, and Rolling Stone, and his artwork has appeared on numerous book jackets. Shannon is a passionate baseball fan and softball player. He and his wife now live in Los Angeles.


David Shannon @ Scholastic

Reviews

[AleJandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

Esta es la historia de mi hija, en serio ella es igual a Spencer y sus montañas de juguetes.

Cuando le leí el libro ella todo el tiempo me decía, "el es como yo" "yo soy así".

Una historia sencilla de un niño con demasiados juguetes. Aun sigo sin saber cual es el mensaje o moraleja de la historia. Pero no importa el protagonista es adorable y se lleva todo el libro.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful David Shannon book that my 5-yr-old and preschoolers loved. They could all relate to having too many toys and having to give some away, and Mommy yelling about them, and Daddy swearing when he steps on Legos in bare feet. With intricate illustrations and enough words to make it a level 2 or level 3 reading book, this was enjoyed by all. Once again our love for Shannon abounds.

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy just has too many toys! Really, the house is just overflowing!


I was looking on Youtube for some new picture books being read aloud and that we can read along. Sometimes I just want someone to read a book to me, just like when I was a kid. I found this one and the video was great. Especially since someone kept stacking toys on the guy who was reading the book, very fitting for the book! Also the guy was really good at doing voices (and he did some interesting faces as well).

A boy has MANY MANY toys. Yes, really, this kid could start a toy store with all the stuff he has collected and been gifted. Though most of them aren’t working, so eh. Maybe someone still wants it though. I loved seeing the home stocked full to the brim with toys, toys and more toys. Oh my. Spencer, boy, we need to talk. 😛

I did think it was irresponsible that the parents and everyone else gave the kid toys and toys and toys. I mean, the kid is clearly having WAY too many toys and why are you giving him more? And why are you screaming at the kid later on? You gave him all those, just like everyone around you did. Maybe you should take responsibility first.
But hey, I am glad the mom finally took action, and helped Spencer with taking out the toys. We all know how kids are with throwing things away. Everything has a use (despite not having heads), everything still is precious, even though they never play with it or haven’t played with it for years. I am glad that the parents put their foot down.

Yes, lego pieces in your foot. OUCH!

The ending was just the best. Poor mom, but I am glad that Spencer has found something new and something that is way more precious than toys. I won’t spoil what it is though. You will just have to read.

The art was OK-ish. Not entirely my favourite and that mostly had to do with the faces/the eyes. Not my cup of tea. But I did like how many details there were on each page.

All in all, a pretty fun book about toys and a boy with too many of them.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

After moving recently and feeling completely overwhelmed with the quantity of toys my kids had, I checked this out of the school library in hopes that it will encourage the kids to donate toys. It was way funnier than I expected, and was one of the few books that every member of my family laughed about with equal pleasure. Every excuse my kids have given as to why they can't donate a particular item (grandma gave that to them for their 4th birthday, etc) was all here! It was as if Davis Shannon had listened in on my home. Fantastic! (and the ending is just right)

[Eva Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was adorable. It was a really great book for kids to connect with and laugh at, because a lot of them have been asked to clean up or pare down their toys.

[Maria Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spencer, the main character of the story Too Many Toys, has more toys than he knows what to do with. Spencer is always getting toys from relatives, friends, kids meals, and even from the dentist's office. He has so many toys is becoming a problem for his parents who keep tripping and stepping on them. Ouch! His mom is fed up and tells Spencer that he needs to get rid of some of the toys. After a long day of convincing and coaxing Spencer to get rid of his toys, Spencer and his mom come up with a box full of toys that Spencer is okay with getting rid of. After a short break Spencer's mom comes back to the toys that were in the box sprawled across the floor. Angry, Spencer's mom tracks down Spencer. She finds him using the box as a toy. Spencer says to his mom that she cannot get rid of the box because it makes a great toy rocket ship. Reading this story for the first time brought me back to my childhood. I remember being in the same situation as Spencer and having too many toys that covered the floor of my room that even I would trip and step on them. David Shannon, did a wonderful job illustrating the number of toys that Spencer has and the problems that his massive toy collection was causing. I also liked the ending of the story because it was also cute and creative.

[Jessica Harnish · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little boy in this story has too many toys! His mom and dad are always tripping on them and toys are spilling out of his drawers and onto the floor. Spencer's mom would like him to give some of his toys away but he tries his hardest to convince her to keep them.

I thought this book was clever and fun to read. The illustrations are busy but eye catching and fun to look at. I'm sure many parents have tried to get their children to give some of their toys away and I'm sure many children feel the way Spencer does about all of his toys.

I would use this book during an author study of David Shannon and pair it with some of his other books like No, David, Duck on a Tractor or Bizzy Mizz Lizzie.

Quote: "Spencer liked to make his toys into a parade that stretched from one corner of the house to the other and back again!"

[Hailey Ek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book about Spencer and his enormous toy collection. Spencer had more toys than you could possibly imagine. After reading this book to the class I would talk about where Spencer's mom could bring all of Davids toys he agreed to get ride of. I would turn it into a learning lesson about how some children have tons of toys be some children don't, and there are ways to help those children whose mommy and daddy's can't afford to buy them new toys. I would teach the class about donations and how they could donate toys. I would then send a letter home to parents asking if they have any unused toys that they would like to add to our classroom donation box. Then the kids could see donating in action.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this audiobook to help me convince my 4 year old to let some of his toys go. I don't think either of us really loved this one. He's read audiobooks before so that wasn't the problem. My assumption is that the narrator was way too over the top when he read it. I was a bit annoyed for sure and my son did not ask for a repeat performance like he normally does. I thought the narration really detracted from the story itself. I might give this another shot with the actual book but I did feel like $1.99 was too much to spend on this audiobook. I thought that was a great deal until I finished this 15 minute book....well, honestly, it was as soon as the narrator started in that I felt like I made a huge mistake. The book may have been awesome but skip the audiobook.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, David Shannon. You really GET kids, don't you? This book was a hilarious trip through the depths kids (and adults, too...) will travel to avoid getting rid of their stuff. Those big, pathetic, puppy-dog eyes when he's talking about never being 4 again...I've SEEN those in that context! lol Not sure it teaches much of a lesson, really, but the ending is pretty funny, and I have to admit that I laughed quite a bit on my first read-through. It was a good inclusion for my unit on toys.

[Lakeira King]

This was a really great picture book and the illustrations were awesome!
Spencer has a hard time getting rid of the millions of toys he has and it kind of reminded me of the TV show Hoarders: Buried Alive. Very funny book!

[Shannon O'Hara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the drawings and how it catches the eye of the reader. I love how it could be used in the classroom and it’s easy to come up with activities that go along with the book. This book is great for an easy read for all ages and it’s illustrations pop of the page.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a favorite at our house. We read it often. I think anyone with kids can relate to having too many toys. I love how this let's kids see that other kids donate their toys too. This is a common discussion in our house!

[Jenese Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was actually pretty funny and I could relate because when I was younger, I too struggled with having too many toys all over my room. It can be a hard decision to pick which toys stay and which ones had to go.

[Goshen PL Childrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read at Storytime on July 26th
Theme: Favorite Stories

[Ms. Jeane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book accurately reflects my life as a parent.

[Susanne Davison · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Shannon's illustrations never disappoint!

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so cute !!

[Amanda Trujillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Too many Toys", is a vibrant story about a little boy, named Spencer, who owns a lot of toys. Spencer explains how he gets all these toys from a lot of different people. Like his family, friends, the dentist, his teachers, his parents. Spencer also explains how he even gets these toys like having birthday parties, and or going to birthday parties, on holidays, and even go to the dentist. Readers can tell how much Spencer loves his toys after his mom threatens to get rid of them. Spencer and his mom have a long negotiation about what toys can stay and what toys have to go. They have a very long debate until Spencer finally gives in and gets rid of some of his toys. The end becomes a very funny turn when Spencers mom puts all of his "get rid of" toys in a box, but then is shocked to find all of the toys dumped out and Spencer is using the box as rocket ship.

David Shannon does an awesome job illustrating and writing this book. She uses red and yellow to make the cover of the book really pop out. The pictures from the book match the dialogues so well, you can actually feel Spencers sadness when his mom tells him he has to get rid of some of his toys. This is a hilarious story that both children, students, parents, and teachers can enjoy a good laugh too. It also shows a good representation of a child and their toys.Too Many Toys

[Kayla Angeletti · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book about a child with a lot of toys! David Shannon wrote this book about a boy named Spencer who had toys of many different shapes and sizes, some were even electrical or wooden and how he would get toys from everyone in his family and eating some friends. He had so many toys that the mother kept tripping over so one day she got mad and wanted to get rid of the toys. When she tried she had found out that Spencer was attached to all of his toys. In the time that I did not see you coming, was it at the end of the book the box ended up missing all the toys that they were giving away were still there, it turns out Spencer took the box and made it one of his toys! This book was so cute, but I was not expecting it to end that way! Even though I I think the book was cute I was not really a big fan of me so I will say that this book is OK. It's not really something I would get excited to read, but if it was something that I had to read then I would.

[Elizabeth Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spencer takes readers on a journey of gratitude and humble beginnings. The young boy comes to terms with the fact that there is such a thing as having “Too Many Toys”. His mother and father are constantly falling over the many many toys he has. After his parents tell Spencer he has to donate some of his toys, the young boy refutes claiming that every toy is his favorite and that he couldn’t possibly part with even one. Despite his initial hesitation, Spencer is able to put together a single large box filled with his toys. Funny enough Spencer comes to discover that he actually prefers to play with the box and has no problem parting with the numerous toys that he originally dreaded donating. The social development lesson associated with this book teaches students that we should be thankful for what we have and that there are people who are less fortunate then us.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis: "Spencer has too many toys! His father trips over them, his mother falls over them, and the house is overflowing with junk. Now its time to give some of the mountain of goodies away, but Spencer finds it hard. In the end, he fills a box, but decides the one toy he can't part with is the box!"

My Review: I picked up this book because we love the No David! books by the same author and I thought this would be a great way to transition some old toys out after Christmas. I think I enjoyed this book more than Munchkin because it pretty much sums up the battle we had over the last weekend, the negotiations of which toys to keep and which to pass on. It is a fun book when your own house is being over run with toys.

[Eryn Earsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spencer has too many toys throughout the house. The toys have taken over his room, the living room, the bathroom, outside and just about everywhere. Spencer’s parents are done with stepping and tripping all over his toys. Spencer’s parents decide that something needs to be done, so they help Spencer go through his toys and declutter. Spencer is to only keep the toys that he absolutely loves, the rest must go. However, Spencer loves all of his toys equally and cannot seem to give them up, even when his mother wants to make a compromise. This is a great book for young readers because it allows the children to think about what is around them. Parents and children will enjoy reading this together because it can help the parents teach a lesson about decluttering.

[Jerzie Finstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a little boy who has too many toys. He gets toys for every holiday as well as just random gifts. One day his mom gets overwhelmed with all the toys and forces him to make some hard decisions that he normally wouldn't want to make. I though this book was cute because, as a kid, this was me (to an extent). I would only ask for toys for Christmas and my birthday. I also liked it because it was simple and the pictures were cute and really went well with the story. I would recommend this book for ages 4-7. Its simple and easy for kids to relate too. Most kids have too many toys so they can see what would happen if the toys keep piling up. It also gives a sense of nonfiction but isn't a true story (which kids like). There were no diverse characters.

[Evan Solis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre – Realistic Fiction
Grade Level – Kindergarten thru Second
Completed – January 27th, 2019
Unique Feature – Spencer has WAY too many toys! Or at least so his mom believes. His collection has grown so large it becomes a hazard to his family, his parents stepping on his jacks and tripping everywhere they step. So his mom sets him with the task, it’s time to get rid of some of his toys. What’s a boy to do, when every toy is so important? A fun book for children and adult readers alike, with eye-catching illustrations full of exuberant colors.

[Ace Giannonatti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spencer has too many toys! Everyone in his family trips, falls and steps on them constantly, but he keeps getting more and more. One day mom had enough. She has Spencer fill a box with the toys he does not use anymore. But in the end, the box is always the most fun! This was fun story to read, and reminded me of all the toys I had scattered everywhere growing up. I would recommend this book to anyone who want to read it. Its funny, relatable and maybe a little truthful for some! There were no diverse characters in this book.

[Etta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Many Toys is a story about a boy who has too many toys and the process that his parents go through while trying to declutter his room. This book has a realistic and humorous portrayal of family life, and in a classroom, can help spark conversations about donation and the power of imagination to create new, fun toys from simple things lying around the house. The illustrations are enticing, and Shannon does a great job representing the different emotions children might feel as they detach from their items, give them away, or decide to keep them.

[Mackenzie Duda · Rating 3 out of 5]

- there are borders on some of the pages, some have an absence of a background, some are double-page spreads, some are single-page spreads
- the only pages with full-bleeds are ones that show an immense amount of subjects like toys or relatives
- there's one page that shows the word "toys" that spans two pages and are made from toy objects
- it breaks the 4th wall often, example is the page with the relatives

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saying that Spencer has too many toys, would be an understatement as you read this story. When his mother finally decides to take action, and have Spencer reduce his toy collection, Spencer pushes back, argues and negotiates until he fills a box with some of his unused or neglected toys to give away. When his comes to collect the box, she sees all the toys discarded in a pile, and Spencer playing with his latest favorite toy.

[Debbie Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

One reason you should read Too Many Toys it is coco crazy. For example, Spencer mom said, "You have to give away some toys." Spencer said, 'I still play with this toy over." He didn't give any of his toys away. Another reason you should read Too Many Toys is there are colorful pictures. For example, the author doesn't use one color. Do you like Toys? Do like so many Toys then you should read Too Many Toys. If you want a book to read at home then you should read Too Many Toys.

Kalanie