That's not mine by Anna Kang

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Ill. by Christopher Weyant. Hodder, 2015. ISBN 9781444918328
(Age: 4+) Recommended. Ownership, Sharing. Two furry animals who live in the same house, both want the same chair to sit in. When one is sitting comfortably, the other remonstrates 'that's my chair', with the emphasis on 'my'. When one moves away the other stakes his claim and the never ending argument starts all over again. The illustrations are full of wit and humour as the two fold their arms and stare at each other, the one willing the other to move. The simply drawn faces are full of life as they react to each other's demands: every emotion can be read there, jealousy, ownership and anger as the two quarrel over the chair.
Simple lines make the message very clear, the chair takes central position on each page and the two animals stand out with their brown and grey fur against the bright yellow of the chair cover.
Fighting over the chair escalates until they both fall over together, and decide that enough is enough. But the twist in the tale will have the readers laughing out loud as they see the argument starting all over again.
Conflict resolution is at the heart of the story of two animals fighting over the same thing, and this book could be a starting point for class discussions about conflict between children, ownership and resolution of problems.
Fran Knight

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