Benny's Had Enough! [Paperback]

Barbro Lindgren (Author), Olof Landstrom (Illustrator), Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard (Translator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Benny's mother is cleaning up. First it's Benny's potatoes and sticks. Then it's Benny. She wants to give him a bath! And then it's Little Piggy. She wants to put him in the washing machine. Benny's had enough. He and Little Piggy run off to find a more congenial home. But, even setting aside the mudholes, the world is not as inviting as Benny had thought.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this picture book from a Swedish team, Landstr?m's (Olson's Meat Pies) remarkably wry illustrations inject charm into a familiar tale. "Benny thinks everything's the pits," but after he runs away from home with his favorite toy, he discovers that "life is so hard!" and returns to his mother's waiting arms. The story humorously emulates a toddler's lack of focus. For instance, after Benny meets a dog on the road, who calls his wife on his cell phone to ask if Benny can live with them, the wife says, "Absolutely not"; the plot then abruptly changes directionA"All of a sudden, Benny just has to dig a hole somewhere." Benny's journey takes him past "a lot of pigs who are sitting in their cabins and staring at their computer screens," and he braves the wrath of a man who threatens to "straighten his curly tail" if Benny doesn't stop digging holes in his yard. Landstr?m's deft illustrations, with their expressive black lines and subtle details (e.g., the crotchety man is seen through a window sipping tea before he bursts out of his home to shoo Benny away), give these characters their singularity; his Every Pig is a real corker. Ages 2-5. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

PreSchool-When Benny's orderly mother tries to clean both him and his belongings, the piglet decides he has had enough, and he runs away with his rag doll, Little Piggy, determined to find a better home. After a few unsuccessful efforts, Benny digs a hole in an empty field, happily slathering himself and Little Piggy with mud until the field's angry owner arrives and threatens to straighten his curly tail. Terrified, the young pig runs off, leaving his doll behind. He returns to rescue the now-filthy toy and heads for home (being sure to wash Piggy first!) where his mother welcomes both of them with open arms. Lindgren uses short declarative sentences written in present tense to capture the essence of a toddler's temper tantrum, and preschoolers are sure to sympathize with his plight. Similar in theme but with a simpler text than Gene Zion's Harry the Dirty Dog (HarperCollins, 1956), this delightful tale is sure to provoke giggles, especially when the two runaways wallow in the mud. Landstrom's humorous paintings are particularly successful at conveying the characters' thoughts and mood changes. Their simplicity suits the terse text and their sense of action propels the story forward. Fans of Lindgren's "Sam" books (Morrow) are sure to enjoy Benny's adventure as well.
Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 28 pages
• Publisher: R & S Books (October 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9129663385
• ISBN-13: 978-9129663389
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,714,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Benny's had enough, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Benny's Had Enough! (Hardcover)

Benny's had enough is a wonderful book about a litle pig who doesn't want to cooperate with his mama while she is cleaning. Finally, Benny decides he's had enough. He and his dirty side-kick, Little Piggy, go out to find a new place to live. Benny realizes life on his own isn't as wonderful as he thought. My 2 year old daughter LOVES this book. (I love this book!) She relates to Benny and Little Piggy and the trials of having to clean up. The pictures are so good you can "see" what's going through Benny's head. Especially realistic is the look on Benny's face when he decides he just has to have a roll in a mudhole. Most parents can relate to trying to clean up after a little one and the struggle to clean a dirty lovey drug around by their child. Mama's response when she sees Benny returning and Little Piggy cleaned is upbeat and positive.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We all feel like Benny sometimes, September 12, 2007

By 

JP (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Benny's Had Enough! (Paperback)

Benny just doesn't want to do what he is told. He is one grumpy little piglet. But, during his foray into the outside world, he realizes what a great life he has at home with his Mama. Very fun book in every way. I love too how it validates feeling grumpy sometimes. Fun references for the adults reading it aloud too.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Get Enough!, December 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Benny's Had Enough! (Hardcover)

This is my new favorite book. I read this to a group of preschoolers and their parents, and the adults liked it as much as the kids. It's wonderful to see a character in a picture book get frustrated and really mad! But the book is also sweet and very funny in a modern, quirky way.