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TOO MANY ACORNS

Written & illustrated by Susannah Crispe, EK Books, September 2024

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Patrick is sad. He feels empty and alone. But then an acorn drops at his feet... and then he finds another... and another. The more acorns he collects, the less empty he feels. But as the house fills with acorns, things start to get out of control. Can Patrick and his Dad find a way to move past the acorn chaos and cope with their grief together?

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A uplifting story of love, hope, resilience and growth, perfect for anyone who's ever felt overwhelmed by loss or emotional upheaval.

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Although not explicitly stated, this is a book about loss and how a child can cope. Whether it is grief, family separation or relocation- a child can feel lost, alone, isolated and not in control. This beautiful book shows how we can embrace our world and move through the challenges, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

- Kathryn Kat_Bookworm

Patrick and Dad learn how to cope with their grief together in this beautifully illustrated, uplifting story about resilience, connection, and growth.

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When Patrick suffers a huge loss, he finds comfort in holding an acorn that drops at his feet. The more acorns he collects, the less empty he feels… but soon there are acorns hiding in cupboards, under the rug, and even in Dad’s work shoes. As the tide of acorns grows, Patrick’s belongings are buried under them, until all he has is… perhaps… too many acorns.

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Join Patrick and Dad as they learn how to cope with their overwhelming grief together, rediscovering the things that make them happy while holding their memories close.

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Through gentle language, illustrations and metaphor, Too Many Acorns explores big emotions in a way that is manageable and understandable for young readers. It is a heart-warming story about the ways we find to cope in the hardest times, perfect for sharing with little ones who are experiencing the loss of a loved one, or any other emotional upheaval.

Too Many Acorns is a subtle picture book about dealing with grief, which you wouldn’t guess from the title or the front cover. Patrick is collecting excessive quantities of acorns to compensate for his loss and resulting sadness. Despite the damage that the acorn avalanche does to his home, this event is the trigger that Patrick needs to start mending the damage to his heart...The author/illustrator purposely keeps us in the dark about what is driving Patrick’s obsession and when we got to the climax, my kids felt clever that they’d worked out the reason why Patrick felt the way he did by identifying the clues in the illustrations. This is a thoughtful read for kids aged 4 to 7 to explore feelings associated with losing something precious.

- Buzz Words

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It's a story for any child going through a transition ... Crispe uses few words to tell the story in an age-appropriate way. She doesn't preach or talk down to her younger readers, and is able to convey a message of hope and resilience through her story and illustrations. Her artwork is full of colour and detail, and there's lots to spot within the pages. There's some subtle metaphors and messages within the pictures too, and the final endpaper is a delight.

- NZ Booklovers

FREE PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING RESOURCES

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Click the image to the right to download a Woven Acorn activity sheet.

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TOO MANY ACORNS -THEMED CRAFT AND PLAY

Who can resist collecting acorns in autumn?! We loved coming up with creative acorny things to do and making and playing with the pegdolls!

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