From the creator of multi-award-winning I Am the Subway.
Making sure you get your rightful share in a family of five siblings is never easy. Everything must be carefully calculated and precisely measured to make sure no one misses out. How We Share Cake is a hilarious exploration of the timeless struggle for fairness and justice among brothers and sisters. This delightful story captures the very essence of family dynamics.---from the publisher
52 pages 978-1957363851 Ages 4-8
Keywords: sharing, family life, humor, fun, brothers and sisters, Asia, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old
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When you're one in a family of five children, it can be tough to get your fair share. As the second sister in a Korean family of five explains, it can also be tricky and depends on what it is, whether you want a fair share, and there can be tactics, politics and sneakery involved. While it might be easy to divvy up a piece of fruit or a litre of milk, what happens if it's a roast chicken with everyone wanting their favourite joint, or if it's a serve of fairy floss? And does anyone really want an equal share of broccoli?
Then there are the indivisibles like hugs from a favourite uncle, the breeze from the fan and who gets to ride the new scooter first...
Drawing on her own experience the author has created an original, intriguing story that will resonate with many - including me as being the only girl amongst eight boys, seven of whom were close cousins - and offer lots of opportunities to discuss, explore and explain how things can be shared fairly, whether they need to be, and what strategies and plans can be devised to outsmart and outlast their siblings. Do you dig into the ice cream with a spatula or a soup ladle? Does your place at the table determine your menu? And if it's your birthday, do you choose the cake of your dreams or one that everyone can share? And then there are broader questions... Do shares always have to be fair? What happens when the unforeseen happens and the planning goes awry? How do you feel and what do you do if you don't get what you were expecting? What is the difference between 'deserving' and 'entitled' and what determines them?
Using simple illustrations accompanied by captions that express the inner thoughts of each child and which are so familiar they are LOL, this is a story that would fit into any family in the world because learning to share - evenly and fairly or not - is one of the first things we teach little ones to do as they move into socialising with others so it is a familiar concept. And while some things can be divided equally using maths concepts, each of which puts the abstract to a practical use so its relevance is understood, it is those that can't that often create the greatest memories - as the endpapers show.
This is a story that has many layers from the physical maths to the abstract of justice - how many times do we, as adults, hear a child exclaim something isn't fair - and so it can be read over and over with a new focus each time. Unique, refreshing and so relatable.
This review can also be found here.
Recommended by: Barbara Braxton, Teacher Librarian, New South Wales AUSTRALIA
See more of her reviews:
500 Hats http://500hats.edublogs.org/
The Bottom Shelf http://thebottomshelf.edublogs.org/
