Published by Anne Schwartz Books

Summary:  A red apple hangs from a tree, ready to drop to the ground.  One by one, animals plan to grab that apple when it falls, each one imagining how delicious it will be, shown with a cartoon bubble and the word “MINE!”  Finally, the wind blows the apple from the tree, and Mouse, Hare, Fox, Deer, and Bear all pounce, resulting in a free-for-all that pushes the apple away.  It lands at the feet of Possum, who eyes it curiously: “Mine?”  A worm pops out, and the two say in unison, “Ours!”  40 pages; ages 3-6.

Pros:  With illustrations reminiscent of Eric Rohmann’s Caldecott book My Friend Rabbit, this story uses catchy rhymes and adorable (if greedy) animals to impart a fun lesson about sharing.

Cons:  Generally, apple trees produce more than one apple at a time, so it seemed like the animals could have just chilled and waited for more apples to fall.