We Share Everything! - a great book for back to school

One of my favourite back to school reads is Robert Munsch's We Share Everything.

author: Robert Munsch
illustrator: Michael Martchenko
publisher: Cartwheel Press, 2002, 1999
hilarious for children 3-5



summary
It's the very first day of kindergarten, and Amanda and Jeremiah have a problem. They want to read the same book. They want to play with the same blocks. The teacher wants them to share everything. But when Amanda and Jeremiah take their teacher's advice, the whole class is in for a hilarious surprise!  Goodreads

We Share Everything is not fine literature.  The illustrations are not fine art. 

But the Munsch-Martchenko team created a fine, readable story, built on trademark Munsch repetition and a twist to the ending and Martchenko's quirky madcap cartoon-like illustrations. 

Maybe not a critic's choice, but definitely a kindergarten favourite.  

why I love it
I love We Share Everything  because it is a fabulous read aloud.  A great class participation read. 

Before we start reading the book, we all practice the refrain.  "In kindergarten we share.  We share everything!".  

Hopefully you can hear the intonation and see the arm movements.

Then we practice the kindergarten teacher flutter.  

It's a two-handed flutter.  With a smile on .

And a silent scream.

Listen to Robert Munsch tell his story [here].

classroom connections
Amanda and Jeremiah  have a dispute over the blocks.

Sounds like a good time to talk about how we play with the blocks.  

Then they need a wee bit of guidance at the paint easel. 


An opportunity to discuss paint etiquette.

Sharing is a year long discussion in kindergarten.  It's a biggie.  Might as well start the conversation right away. 

resources
While I think that We Share Everything is best just read and enjoyed, there are some free resources to use with the book.

The Picture Book Teacher Edition created a draw and write page to use in response to the book. Click the graphic to go to Shauna's blog. 

Mrs Larremore  at Chalk Talk made a We Share Everything class book with her kidlets.  Click on the title page picture to link to her blog. 



The last thing I'm going to leave you with is a couple of songs about sharing.  

The first from Raffi, the children's troubadour who has been championing children's rights, and writing and singing songs for children for over 20 years. 


The second is from Jack Johnson who is writing and recording new children's classics

                                      






Image Map


linked up with 
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20 comments

  1. Sigh, just left a long comment here and it has vanished :(
    I will try and remember what I said....
    I am a Patron of Reading (I have a link up just after yours on the blog hop page) and I am always on the lookout for book suggestions so your post is perfect.

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    1. How wonderful to be a Patron of Reading, helping children enjoy stories, books and reading. Thank you so much for stopping by - and leaving 2 comments.

      Sandi

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  2. Thanks for the review. Books about sharing are precious. What a valuable lesson to learn.
    Julie :-)
    Mrs Stowe's Kinder Cottage

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    Replies
    1. This one, as are all Robert Munsch books, is hilarious. Maybe include it in your next Literacy Day at your school.

      Sandi

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  3. You sent this book to me! I love it.

    Kimberley

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    1. I think your grade ones will love it. They can feel oh so grown up, not at all like the "little kids" on the first day of kindergarten!

      sandi

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  4. Sounds like a delightful book. Books on sharing at this age make a big impact I think,so this book was an excellent find. I also like the draw and write page, where kids are asked to think about sharing and what they would share.
    -Reshama @StackingBooks.com

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    Replies
    1. It's a lot of fun. And a good reminder about sharing when someone is not sharing what they should be. In kindergarten we share .... everything (except ...)

      Sandi

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  5. This book is timely for me, since our 2 1/2 year old is learning/not learning how to share! I love that you can listen to the author tell the story - thanks for sharing!

    Brittany
    Tales of a Bookworm

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    Replies
    1. I hope that you enjoy it with your wee one. It's a great read aloud.

      Sandi

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  6. Great post, great book! Thanks for sharing my link!!
    Shawna
    The Picture Book Teacher's Edition

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    Replies
    1. It is a fabulous book - my kids love it.

      Always happy to share links to other people's freebies.

      happy Friday

      Sandi

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  7. Sounds like a great book and much needed. I know at least from my kids they hated to share when they were little. They still need to work on it. :)

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    1. Don't promise that reading the book will get kids sharing - but it is a fun read.

      Sandi

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  8. Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by.

      I love reading We Share Everything at the beginning of the school year, since it is such a great book for participation reading. It really builds a sense of being a fun community.

      Sandi

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  9. Oh - we LOVE this book. It's one of a handful of Robert Munsch's books that we own (instead of borrowing the rest as we did from the library)! Great recommendation - thanks for sharing in the Kid Lit Blog Hop. :)

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    1. It's one of my favourite Robert Munch books too. (Along with Paperbag Princess, Thomas' Snowsuit, Andrew's Loose Tooth ...)

      Sandi

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  10. Boy do I love Raffi! It's not really Christmas at our house until we have Raffi's Christmas CD playing. This from the twentysomethings in the family :)
    Looks like a great read! Max is not ready for kindergarten yet, but we could use some thoughts on sharing with the kids in our neighborhood. Max and his best friend love each other but they ALWAYS want the same toy. ALWAYS!
    Thanks so much for linking in!

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  11. The Munsch/Martchenko team really makes some books that kids love to have read to them, don't they!? My favorite Munsch book, Ribbon Rescue, is actually illustrated by Eugenie Fernandez (here's my review of it: http://mommynificent.com/2012/10/06/ribbon-rescue-book-review/) but there are so many from this duo that we really enjoy! I haven't actually seen this one yet, so I'll have to keep an eye out for it! Thanks for sharing it at Booknificent Thursday! Looking forward to seeing what you have to share this week!
    Tina

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