Henny Penny [Paperback]

H. Werner Zimmermann (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1996 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Henny Penny and her friends are on their way to tell the king that the sky is falling when they meet a hungry fox.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2. Straightforward retellings of classic tales, written for beginning readers. Henny-Penny is the better of the two because of its fast-paced linear plot and repetitive language. The Magic Porridge Pot, set in today's world, is more complex. The subtle differences in the right and wrong commands ("Little pot, cook" and "Cook, little pot") and lack of repetitive words and phrases require children to have better reading and comprehension skills. Though there are certainly context clues in the full-color illustrations in both books, the style is flat, and the pictures don't capitalize on the opportunity to enhance the stories. Additional purchases for libraries with large beginning-to-read collections.?Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 1^-2. Putting familiar tales into easy-to-read formats can be a little gimmicky. However, the story of Henny-Penny, with its repetitive words and sentences ("I'm going to tell the King the sky is falling"), works better than most. The artwork, featuring good-size characters, will appeal to new readers. An on-target offering. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (May 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590423894
• ISBN-13: 978-0590423892
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,773,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harriet Ziefert was born in New Jersey. She grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where she attended the local schools. She graduated from Smith College, then received a Masters degree in Education from New York University. "About twelve years ago," says Ziefert in a 1995 interview, "I tried to get a job as an editor, but no one would hire me as a trade editor. So I decided to write my own books." Since then, she has written several hundred books, mostly picture books and easy-to-read books. "I write books very quickly," she says, "in about twelve hours. I rewrite them three times over three days, and then they're done." She writes about twenty books a year. Ziefert's picture book A New Coat for Anna is about a girl in a bombed-out European city during the months just after World War II. Anna has outgrown her old coat, and her mother trades her few surviving treasures--a watch, a lamp, a necklace, and a porcelain teapot--in order to obtain wool and have it spun, woven, and finally sewn into a fine red coat for Anna. A Horn Book Magazine reviewer stated, "the simple text, based on a true story, carries the narrative along effectively." The book, which was illustrated by Anita Lobel, was chosen as one of ten books to be read aloud by former First Lady Barbara Bush as part of a program promoting reading. Ziefert was invited to the White House for the occasion. The reason Ziefert began writing easy-to-read books was that she felt "they were getting too hard for kids to read in the first grade." She says that she wrote easy-to-read books with seventy-five or fewer words, even ones with fifty or fewer words, "to see how much of a story" she could produce with that limit. She enjoyed the challenge, and cites her book Sleepy Dog as an example. "Sleepy Dog is the most successful book I've ever done, in terms of number of books sold." She's also been working on a developmental program with publisher Dorling Kindersley, made up of books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Her book Pete's Chicken, which was illustrated by Laura Rader, was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review as "a simple, sweet 'Song of Myself' for children . . . [which] applauds the specialness of every child as it reminds parents of the healing power of just being there for children." Among her other books is a series of easy-to-read books, such as Trip Day and Worm Day, about an inventive science teacher and his rambunctious class of students. Ziefert's book Let's Get a Pet was named an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children by a joint committee of the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council. . Ms. Ziefert lives in Maplewood, New Jersey and Lincoln, Massachusetts. She has two adult sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Oversimplified, September 9, 2004

By 

Nostalgic mama "Tooki" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Henny Penny (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book has been oversimplified, which makes it dull and boring. It is nothing like the original. It is very repitious and does not allow for the children to really understand the moral of the story.

Nice try...but this is not a winner.

5.0 out of 5 stars Favortie Childhood book, August 25, 2011

By 

Cyclegoddess "Imagizign" (Spanaway, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Henny Penny (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (School & Library Binding)

This was my most favorite book when I was a child! I am so happy to of been able to find it here on Amazon!