School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-As an intrepid toddler struggles to take possession of a passel of playthings, he is keenly observed by a frolicsome pup and a winsome infant who is preparing to make her move. The characters' spot-on body language and facial expressions create a virtuoso visual portrayal of nascent social skills. (June) (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
An egocentric preschooler (is there any other kind?) and an enthralled baby are placed in a room with a collection of toys and a bemused canine observer. Let the fun begin! The preschooler quickly lays claim to everything in sight: "Mine. Mine. Mine, mine, mine..." When the baby holds up the one thing the preschooler has failed to sweep up, the older child immediately tosses everything in his arms to grab it, declaring "MINE!" The discovery of the dog's water dish turns the story into a giddy, soppy free-for-all that culminates in the baby taking its (presumed) first steps to tackle the preschooler, while shrieking "MINE" in utter adoration. Crum (Thunder-Boomer!) uses only the title word (if you don't count a single "Woof?"), but the various inflections speak volumes about the comic dynamics of sharing. Barton (Sweet Moon Baby) occasionally uses a blue dotted line to trace the trajectory of objects and characters as they hurtle through the room. Her dizzyingly expressive digitized pencil sketches seem to be everywhere at once, continually reframing the action to make sure readers savor every gleefully anarchic moment. Ages 1-4. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
When a baby and a toddler confront a pile of toys, the elder says "Mine," grabbing every plaything in sight. By the end of this giggle-inducing book--all the more so because of a feisty dog and its water bowl--the baby has the final word. Barton hits the bull's-eye with her illustrations of round-bellied, plump-tushied tots. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
What toddler hasn't experienced the frustration of trying to retrieve toys from a baby sibling or the family dog with a shouted "MINE!"?Though the situation is quite familiar, it's the whimsical illustrations that capture every comical nuance here. The text is virtually wordlessjust one word, "Mine," which is repeated in the first several spreads and is implied in following scenes. Initially, this scene of play starts badly, with the toddler rounding up all the toys, uttering "mine" with each one. Baby flings toy bunny in the air, and it lands in the dog's water dish. Dog shakes wet bunny, showering water everywhere. Toddler drops all the other toys in the dog's water bowl, spraying water on the laughing kids and dog (who breaks the textual pattern with one "Woof?"). Body and facial expressions need no translating. A string of blue dotted lines traces the movements of all the tossed and flying objects. The capricious artwork has touches of Helen Oxenbury and Marla Frazee's babies, smudgy, digitized pencil sketches full of movement and joy. As a discussion piece to use with very young children, a basic lesson in emotional literacy or an exercise in reading the pictures, this not-as-simple-as-it-seems book excels.This charming, animated episode will elicit giggles and demands of "read it again!"(Picture book. 2-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
With just the title's one word, Mine!, acted out and repeated on every double-page spread, this picture book captures the elementals of grabbing and sharing in intense standoffs between a small boy, a chortling baby, and a puppy, all shown from a small kid's floor-level viewpoint (only the adults' legs are pictured). The baby tries to grab the toddler's stuff his airplane, ball, giraffe, and cookie and after the boy hurls them out of reach, the dog joins in the exchange, and things end up in his water bowl. Finally, in the cuddling climax, the toddler reaches out, and the smiling baby stands upright and staggers across to hug his friend. Mine. Of course, at first adults will turn the pages and tell the story, but toddlers will join in on every page and point at the slapstick action and snuggly fun.--Rochman, Haze. Copyright 2010 Booklist