Penny and Her Marble (Penny #3)

by Kevin Henkes (Author) Kevin Henkes (Illustrator)

Penny and Her Marble (Penny #3)
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
Series: Penny

Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes's award-winning Penny returns in the third easy-to-read story about a sweet and curious mouse, perfect for fans Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, and Chrysanthemum.

When Penny spots a marble in Mrs. Goodwin's front yard, she picks it up, puts it in her pocket, and takes it home. It's a beautiful marble--it's big, shiny, blue, smooth, and fast, and Penny loves it. But does the marble really belong to Penny? Penny and Her Marble was named a 2014 Geisel Honor book by the American Library Association. This annual award, given to the most distinguished books for beginning readers, is named for the world-renowned children's author Theodor Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss.

Kevin Henkes is a master at creating beautifully illustrated books that resonate with young children. The Penny books are new classics for beginning readers and will appeal to fans of Frog and Toad, Little Bear, and Henry and Mudge.

Don't miss Penny's newest adventures in Penny and Her Sled, coming this fall!

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Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Henkes ups the emotional stakes in his third book starring Lily, in which guilt hangs heavily over the young mouse. Lily is instantly smitten with the blue marble she discovers on a neighbor's lawn, and she sneaks it into her pocket. Her backward-glancing eyes as she runs home clue readers in that she's ambivalent about her decision, something she considers for the next few chapters. Henkes crystallizes the way guilt worms its way into the mind of someone who suspects she's in the wrong, while putting his heroine at ease in the final pages. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Starred Review

PreS-Gr 2—In the latest installment in the series, the young mouse is pushing her doll's stroller down the block when she spies a marble on her neighbor's lawn. After furtively looking around, Penny drops it in her pocket and races home. At first she delights in her new treasure, enjoying how smooth it feels between her fingers and how fast it rolls across the floor, but then she is overcome with guilt for taking something that doesn't belong to her. Henkes's nuanced watercolor and ink illustrations capture the shame-filled mouse hiding behind curtains. As she continues to worry, she loses her appetite: "The oranges in the bowl looked like big orange marbles. The peas on her plate looked like little green marbles." After a dream-filled night, Penny decides to put the marble back where she found it. When confronted by Mrs. Goodwin, Penny's "cheeks were hot. She could not speak," but her kind neighbor reassures her that she put the marble on the grass hoping someone would pick it up. Readers will empathize with Penny and her conflicted emotions. The short sentences with plenty of repetition and superb pacing make this title perfect for beginning readers. A treasure.—Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Carefully sequenced panels, expressive lines and gentle pastels lead the reader to the story's joyous resolution."—Washington Post
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062082053
Lexile Measure
470
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Greenwillow Books
Publication date
August 20, 2013
Series
Penny
BISAC categories
JUV039050 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Emotions & Feelings
JUV002180 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs, etc.
JUV039220 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Values & Virtues
JUV043000 - Juvenile Fiction | Readers | Beginner
Library of Congress categories
Lost and found possessions
Lost articles
Mice
Marbles
Marbles (Game objects)
Cybils
Finalist 2013 - 2013
Geisel Medal (Dr. Seuss)
Honor Book 2014 - 2014
Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
Recommended 2014 - 2014
Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award
Honor Book 2014 - 2014
Monarch Award
Nominee 2015 - 2015
Star of the North Picture Book Award
Nominee 2015 - 2015
Garden State Children's Book Awards
Nominee 2016 - 2016

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