Just a Toy

by Gina Mayer, Mercer Mayer

When Little Critter brings home a toy from the store that turns out to be broken, he throws a tantrum and asks to go back to pick another one, yet once there, he simply cannot decide what to get. Original.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction

24 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. For the German author of novels, youth books and children's books, see Gina Mayer

Reviews

[Mikayla Taflinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a toy starts out with little critter and his sister going to the toy store. His sister picks a toy easily but critter takes a little while to pick the perfect toy he ends up picking a dinosaur. He takes it home to only for the dinosaurs head to fall off. Critter is not happy so his father takes him back to the toy store the next day and he gets a toy that is already in pieces this time so he can build it.

Strength: relatable for young readers
Weakness: no real underlying message

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Little Critter book that highlights the joys and happenings of going to a toy store with young ones. I didn't appreciate how Brother Critter called his sister's microscope dumb. I think Brother got what he deserved when he tried scaring his sister.

[Alice Dillehay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for young children

[Library To-Go]

03/25/26- Pediatrust-ES

[Patricia Bleile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dad takes Little Critter and his sister to the toy store. Little Sister knows exactly what she wants and goes after it; Little Critter can't make up his mind (and when he does, it has disastrous consequences).

[Robert Beveridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gina and Mercer Mayer, Just a Toy (Golden Press, 2000)

Dad takes Little Critter and his sister to the toy store. Little Sister knows exactly what she wants and goes after it; Little Critter can't make up his mind (and when he does, it has disastrous consequences). Another Little Critter book that deals with frustration and anger, and I have yet to decide if the ones that treat this more realistically than as a problem-solving exercise are better or worse than the problem-solving books (most of which come with too-easy solutions in the final pages). Likable enough, though I wouldn't call it anything special; if your kid is already a Little Critter fan go for it, otherwise give it a run-through at the library. ** ½

[Uriah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always like these books and this one wasn't an exception. Could be learning tool but mostly fun to read.

[Miss Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find the "t" in the initial positions of words 16 times in this story! Enjoy!

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Mercer Mayer!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Little Critter! And the building toy which is already in billions of pieces so it won't break as soon as you get it!