A delightful children's book with an important message. Bentley, the dog who initially dislikes sharing, learns the value of friendship over possessions during a visit to the park. This wonderful story, originally penned for the author's granddaughter, is a lesson in kindness and cooperation. The book's new illustrations and revised title make it a wonderful addition to any child's library.

Meet Bentley, the dog who discovers the joy of sharing in this adorable book! A heartwarming story that teaches kids about friendship and the joy of sharing. This book takes you on a journey with Bentley, who initially struggles with sharing but soon realizes that having friends is more important than having stuff. I was touched by the simple yet powerful message of this book, and the new illustrations make it even more engaging for young readers. If you want to instill important values in your child while enjoying a heartwarming story together, don't miss out on Bentley Shares His Toys.

Originally published in 2020 the book was originally titled Bentley Learns to Share and featured photos of the author's two dogs, Bentley and Hachi. It was written for her then soon-to-be granddaughter. I actually like the title change as it somehow makes the story less teach-y and more a simple positive lesson by example. The now illustrations are fun and colorful, capturing the reality of dogs with a bit of cartoon/comic flair. Several breeds are depicted, too. There's a strong message of not just that it's good to share but the rewards of doing so. Bentley learns to stop hoarding his toys and share, finally making new friends and having fun along the way.

Another plus is that story doesn't just end there with Bentley sharing his toys with all the dogs at the park but continues briefly at home. Bentley is now sharing with Hachi, who he wouldn't even share a doggie bed with when the story opens, and both are shown sharing and smiling at life. Message doubled as Bentley has definitely learned and all are happier for it, both at home and play. A fun, quick read that children, especially dog-loving ones, will enjoy and, shh, ingest a subtle message of kindness.

Thanks #NetGalley and #IndependentlyPublished for sharing Bentley and Hachi's updated story with me.

This is a simple - and slightly simplistic - story about the importance of sharing.

Bentley is a boxer dog who has only one friend, an older boxer called Hachi. That's because Bentley hates to share. He hates to share anything, but most particularly his toys.

Despite Hachi's popularity, thanks to his generosity and kindness towards all, and his efforts to persuade Bentley otherwise, Bentley has learned nothing from his friend. Until one day at the park when he gets tired of being left out by the other dogs because he will not share his toys.

For me, it would have been more effective if Bentley could have had an Aha Moment about this, to be honest, to explain why he changed his mind suddenly after refusing to do so for so long, despite his isolation. So while the story undoubtedly has an important message, it could definitely have been delivered more creatively.

Overall, the illustrations are nice and the story is effective in demonstrating why it is better to share - since as the author says elsewhere, it is better to have friends than stuff. And who can argue with that? Makes sense to me.

This was a very sweet short story about a dog called Bentley who didn't want to share anything, especially his toys. This book had cute, colourful illustrations, and I thought the story had lovely messages that could teach children about the importance of sharing, and about making friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.