Thats my mule! Im not sharing! cries Sally about Stiffy her mule. Benny and his mule Bossy feel the same way. So goes this entertaining saga about some very stubborn characters refusing to share, work, or play together. Its only when Dad gets involved and ties the mules together that they learn an important object lesson: in order to eat, they must cooperate. After much struggling, the mules finally work together, and in the process teach their owners Benny and Sally that sharing brings happiness. Virtues: Cooperation / Tolerance / Respect What child couldn't relate to a story about sibling rivalry? This lovely story deals with conflict and ways to solve it using teamwork and sharing. It's simple and delivers a message any child could grasp. --Lisa Regan, Day-care mom 10 yrs/Pre-school owner 3 years, Scottsdale, AZ Two children are wonderful helpers around the farm, but refuse to share anything. Their pet mules demonstrate the same unwillingness to cooperate. The father decides to teach a lesson by tying the mules ropes together. When the mules cannot get to their food without cooperating, the children argue over who will get to the food first. While the children are arguing, the mules learn that they can both eat if they work together. This is a modern fable. The story is simply written and the moral is easily understood. This hardbound cover is brightly illustrated. I would recommend this book to library collections that are looking to add to their picture books or fable sections. --JaKay Greer, D. McCarty MS and Damascus MS, Gresham-Barlow SD I just finished reading the Sommer-Time Story series to my three year old daughter. I thought she would be too young for the books but she listened to every word! Tied up in Knots was especially timely for us. After reading it we discussed how by sharing and cooperating the donkeys were both able to get what they wanted.The pictures were also wonderful and my daughter loved reading me the books by looking at the illustrations. I wish there were more books for children with the clear moral stories that these have. --Angie Casavecchia, Service Coordinator, Missouri Department Mental Health Carl Sommer is a devoted educator and a successful businessman with a passion for communicating values and practical learning skills to children. As a successful businessman and educator, Sommer is eminently qualified to impart to students the principles necessary for success in an increasingly complex world. Following his passion, Sommer has authored books in many categories. His works include: the award-winning Another Sommer-Time Story series of childrens books and read-alongs that impart values and principles for success for children. The Another Sommer-Time Story Series of 20 character-building story books and read-alongs have won these awards: Teachers ChoiceTM Award, Moms Choice Award, ForeWord magazine Book of the Year Award, Benjamin Franklin Award, The Communicator Award, Family Review Center Gold Award, iParenting Media Award, and Family Choice Award. Many of these books have been translated into foreign languages. The Another Sommer-Time StoryTM series now has 24 books, and Advance Publishing is printing a bilingual version in English and Spanish. Sommer is also the founder and president of Digital Cornerstone, a recording and video studio. They have produced 24 Another Sommer-Time Adventure DVDs where Sommer reads the books and teaches character-building lessons. These videos are currently being shown around the world either on cable or streaming video on "Smile of a Child" TV, the largest childrens 24 hour TV program. Advance is also producing Quest for Success series, currently 12 character-building graphic novels for upper elementary students and reluctant readers in junior and senior high school. Born in 1930, Sommer is happily married since 1955 and has five children and 19 grandchildren (See the Sommer Family at 50th wedding anniversary).Sommer is an avid reader, and his hobbies are swimming and fishing. He exercises five times a week at home. He attends church faithfully, and thanks the Lord for his excellent health. Sommer has no plans to retire. He is in excellent health and continues to write and develop educational materials in Houston, Texas. Advance Publishings mission statement reveals Sommers passion and purpose: Providing exciting and inspiring character-building resources that train and motivate children with positive virtues and life skills, which enable them to live successful lives, and results in stronger families, better schools, and a safer and more productive society.