Monkey Nut
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Sharing is one of the hardest things for children to learn - and so a bright, new, funny picture book that shows how not to be selfish is always good to see. Two little spiders find a monkey nut, and shouting 'it's mine!', each snatches it for a new use, until finally they start to fight in earnest. A bigger spider comes along and claims it for his own - before having a nasty experience under an elephant's foot, leaving the nutshell broken in two, making it ideal for sharing.
Bold, bright colours and a variety of different media, from photos to paint splodges are used to great effect in the illustrations of this picture book: the spread covered in the word 'Mine!' written in different fonts brilliantly shows how loudly everyone is shouting. Simon Rickerty perfectly delivers his simple but important message, with plenty of lively humour that is certain to make little readers giggle.