Today I read Even Steven: A Book About Sharing by Carrie Finison & Daniel Wiseman to two preschool classes.

The book is about a boy named Steven who wants everything to be fun, fair, and even. He knows that cutting things in half is a great way to make things even. He discovers that works well for cookies, but not for crayons or books or nickels. He tries giving each person one of something, but that doesn’t work for roller skates or playground slides. Then he tries taking turns, which works well for the swings, but not with an umbrella or building with blocks. Eventually, he learns that things can be fun and fair without necessarily being even, and that some things (like your toothbrush!) don’t need to be shared at all.

This is such a fun and engaging look at all of the different ways to share. The kids thought parts of it (like the idea of sharing a lollipop or a toothbrush) were hilarious. Some pages ask the readers for ideas on how to share different things, like a sweatshirt, or the Earth. I didn’t dwell on these with the preschoolers (although one girl did raise her hand to suggest how she would share a sweatshirt), but I think they could make for a great discussion in a Kindergarten or elementary school classroom.

The book runs a little longer than the ones I usually read with preschoolers, but it kept them engaged. It will definitely be one I bring to my class visits in the fall. It’s one of those rare titles that conveys a complicated idea in a fun (and funny!), relatable way.