10 Picture Books About the Art and Skill of Sharing + GIVEAWAY!

Please welcome my guest author, Carrie Finison, with her list of Ten Picture Books About the Art and Skill of Sharing!

We are giving away a copy of her book, Even Steven! To enter, please leave a comment.

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Kids, caregivers, and teachers agree – learning to share is HARD. Whether sharing stuff, sharing space, sharing food, or sharing friends, it’s a skill that even adults struggle with. These ten picture books tackle the topic of learning to share in ways that are both humorous and heartfelt.

Even Steven: A Book About Sharing by Carrie Finison, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman

Steven is a boy who likes to share, but he’s sometimes a little confused on the mechanics of doing so. Some things are easy to split in half, like a cookie. But what about a nickel, or a book? Sometimes it’s better to take turns, or give each person one of something. But there are times when ‘fair’ does not equal ‘even’ or ‘the same’ and it’s up to Steven (and readers) to figure out the nuances of sharing. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

Shared Space by Maddie Frost

Mouse is a neat-nik who likes perfect order in his yard. Then Pak-Rat moves in. Pak-Rat is not so into perfect order and more into his pinwheel collection, his garden gnomes, and his plastic flamingos. Ultimately Mouse and Pak-Rat do some creative rearranging, and some decluttering, and find a way to share their space peacefully. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Two for Me, One for You by Jörg Mühle, translated by Catherine Chidgey

When Bear finds three mushrooms and gives them to Weasel to cook up with salt, pepper, and a garnish of parsley, an argument ensues. Bear is bigger, so she should get the third mushroom, right? But Weasel is smaller and has more growing to do. But Bear is hungrier. No, Weasel is hungrier! But Bear found the mushrooms. But Weasel cooked the mushrooms. Readers will laugh at the familiarity of the arguments as the friends try to figure out what is most fair in this situation. Ultimately, a hungry fox puts an end to the argument – but the question remains open. Did the friends learn anything? [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Mauntie and Me by Rajani LaRocca, illustrated by Nadia Alam

Sharing things is tough. Sharing a favorite person is even tougher. Priya loves having special time with her aunt, whom she calls ‘Mauntie’ – short for ‘my auntie,’ while her much older cousins play together. But when far-flung family comes to visit, Priya suddenly has to share Mauntie with another young cousin, Aditi. At first Priya dislikes and resists sharing Mauntie, especially when she learns that Aditi’s family will be moving to the area, but finally Priya comes to realize that perhaps she is not losing an aunt, but instead gaining a cousin. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

How We Share Cake by Kim Hyo-eun, translated by Deborah Smith

Told with humorous and adorable annotated illustrations, this book shows all the ways that five siblings share things from ice cream to the car, the bathroom, a fan, their uncle, and finally ending up with a birthday cake that the narrator – the second eldest child – chooses because it will be easy to cut and share with her siblings. This book will lead to many observations and conversations about how things are shared in a family. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Zip Zap Wickety Wack by Matthew Diffee

In this humorous story, a sheep and a goat argue over who has the right to say “Baa,” get visited by an alien whom all the animals decide is very bad at sharing, and then finally agree to share the word Baa. Kids will laugh at the animal word-swapping, the nonsense language, and unexpected plot turns of this story. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

That’s MY Sweater! by Jessika von Innerebner

This hilarious book follows Olivia as she waxes poetic about her favorite sweater, only to find that she has outgrown it and her mother has handed it down to her younger brother. Olivia fumes and plots to get her sweater back, but then gets some wisdom – and a little something else – from her older brother that makes her feel much better about the situation. Kids who give and receive clothes from siblings and cousins will immediately recognize this relatable situation. [picture book, ages 5 and up]

Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Hyewon Yum

While her parent attends ESL class, Luli plays quietly in the daycare room with other children – none of whom can speak English. But on this day, Luli has come prepared with tea that she brews for the whole group. When the tea is steeped, and Luli calls out, “Cha” in Chinese, the other children take notice, answering with their own very similar words for tea in their own languages. But when there isn’t quite enough tea remaining for Luli, the other children come up with a way to share a little of their own so they can fill her cup, too. Finally, Luli pulls out another surprise to share, and everyone learns a new English word: cookie! [picture book, ages 3 and up]

The Sweater by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Teagan White

Holly, a raccoon, comes across a little bird while hiking who has clearly “been through some things” and is in need of help. She quickly activates her community, with each member sharing what they can with the newcomer. Holly knits a warm sweater, and the rest of the community shows up to help the little bird shore up his home in time for winter. In the end, the bird repays them by sharing his sweet song. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

The Sharing Book by Dianne White, illustrated by Simone Shin

This beautiful ode to sharing follows two best friends and their extended families on a camping trip together, sharing meals, songs, stories, adventure, and most of all, love. The lyrical lines of text and repeated refrain create a soothing pattern that invites readers into the story, but also to think about the experiences of their own lives that they’ve shared with others. [picture book, ages 1 and up]

Even Steven GIVEAWAY!

We are giving a copy of Even Steven.

To enter, please leave a comment. We can only mail to U.S. and A.P.O. addresses.

Carrie Finison writes children’s books with humor and heart that are fun to read aloud. Her books include Dozens of Doughnuts and the sequel, Plenty of Pancakes; Don’t Hug Doug, an ALA Notable Children’s Book; Even Steven; Lulu & Zoey: A Sister Story; Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School; Pigs Dig a Road; and Touch a Truck Day, a lift-the-flap board book. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, son, and daughter, and two cats who permit her to work in their cozy attic office. For updates and giveaways, subscribe to her newsletter, check out her website, or follow on BlueSky orInstagram.

p.s. Related posts:

10 Picture Books to Teach and Inspire Teamwork

9 New Picture Books to Teach Consent

Josh Funk and Carrie Finison at Brookline BookSmith

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