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Full-Time Dads;
The Magazine for Caregiver Fathers
Issue 23
Too Many Toys is the simple story, told in verse, of a boy, "Who had almost every game and almost every toy." So many toys, in fact that he couldn't even close the closet door, and he never seemed to play with any of them. He is concerned about where he's going to put all the stuff he's expecting for Christmas. The boy doesn't seem to be greedy; in fact he tells Santa to only bring a few things for him.
Little does he know that Santa is having just the opposite problem: not enough toys! Santa goes to the boy and asks him to donate some of this stuff, which he does. (Who could pass up a chance to ride shotgun with Santa?)
In the end, the boy wakes on Christmas morning feeling better than he ever has before. There, on the tree is a shiny gold ornament, "showing Santa in a sleigh beside a little boy who gave his toys away."
It's not complicated, and the illustrations are simple and straightforward. There are no hidden pictures or fancy footwork. Just an honest, heartwarming story that I think might replace The Night Before Christmas in homes around the country. I like the fact that the decision to help Santa is made by the boy himself. There are no parents offering moral advice, no role model, just a little boy who knows in his heart what the right thing to do is. It is always nice to see a boy presented in this way.
By the way, the book comes with a copy of that gold ornament, to hang on your tree. Ask for it at your book shop, or call Little Friends at 1-800-617-3734. Tell them you heard it here!
Illustrated by Diane R. Houghton
Published by Little Friend Press
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