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, 15:12, 10 February 2014
{{infobox
|title=Millie Shares
|author=Claire Alexander
|reviewer=Ruth Ng
|genre=For Sharing
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-1405264082
|pages=32
|publisher=Egmont
|date=January 2014
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140526408X</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>140526408X</amazonus>
|website=http://www.clairealexander.com/
|video=
|summary=Sick of the weekly playgroup tussle over who gets to play with the dolly/pushchair/train/trampoline? Try this story...you never know, it might help!
}}
It's a perennial problem for parents of little ones - how to get them to share. When my daughter was little she used to hover around the doors of the toy cupboard, hoping to be first in the queue to get her hands on a dolly pushchair... there are never enough dolly pushchairs it seems! Different parents react in different ways. Some see their little darling snatching a toy from another child and immediately leap in and start the 'share!' conversation. Others laugh and say 'well, they have to learn...' I think reactions differ depending on whether your child is always the one stealing the toys away, or if yours is the child weeping in the corner because someone took the yellow ball from her. Anyway, if you're having problems with the idea of sharing then try this sweet story!
Millie has a monkey that she loves very much. She really, really doesn't want to share him. But then one day at nursery she is distracted by all the other lovely toys and she puts monkey down and forgets about him. The problem comes when she goes to find him later and discovers that her friend Lily has laid a claim on him! Millie reacts as many a toddler would and takes monkey back, and then takes all the other toys she can get her hands on! You'd have thought this would leave all her friends sobbing, but they are obviously emotionally advanced toddler animals since they all just get on with playing other games and, significantly, they're playing these games together. Will Millie learn a valuable lesson about sharing and having fun all together? Of course she will!
This is a sweet little story, simply told and very easy for little ones to follow. The illustrations are lovely with cute little animals telling the tale. I like Millie's thoughtful expressions, when she is considering her options, and I like the pictures at the end when Millie is sharing monkey and playing with her friends.
I think if you are having a lot of discussions with your toddler about how to share and what can be gained by sharing with friends then this is a lovely book to use to that end. I like the happy ending with regards to the sharing issue, and the lesson that Millie learns of how when she shares her toy with her friends then they can all play together very happily.
For more help with sharing you could try [[Share! by Anthea Simmons and Georgie Birkett]] and for other toddler issues take a look at [[Elephantantrum! by Gillian Shields and Cally Johnson-Isaacs]] and [[Yucky Mucky Manners by Sam Lloyd]]
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