by Kevin Henkes (Author) Kevin Henkes (Illustrator)
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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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.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.