Penny and Her Song [Hardcover]

Kevin Henkes (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: February 28, 2012 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Series: Penny

When Penny comes home from school, she is ready to sing her song. But the babies are sleeping, and Mama and Papa are worried that Penny will wake them up. Oh, but it is a good song, a really wonderful song . . . and Penny wants more than anything to sing it.

What do you think will happen?

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Penny, a little mouse girl, has a song in her heart. Well, it’s not just in her heart, because as soon as she comes home from school, she wants to belt it out loud: “One is nice, two is nice.” But Mama and Papa are concerned that Penny’s song will wake up the babies. She tries singing to herself and to her glass animals, but what fun is that? Penny gives her song a go at dinner; her parents insist it will have to wait. Finally, in front of her folks and the twins, Penny gets to sing about one and two being nice (“three is even better”); four and five are also nice (“six in rain is wetter”). Seven and eight: nice as well. Nine? “Almost best. But ten is even bigger, and is better than the rest.” So much praise is heaped on Penny that she sings the song again. And here is where Henkes has his finger on the pulse of families: on the next go-around the whole family joins in, which provokes Mama and Papa to put on costumes and dance. Finally, everyone is exhausted, and the singing has put the babies to sleep. The text, with its frustrations and joys, is perfect for new readers, and Henkes’ familiar artwork has its share of warm moments. This early reader captures the way families make memories at unexpected moments. Welcome Penny to the cast. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Any new book by Caldecott-winning Henkes is cause for anticipation, and this one even more so as it marks the first time he has written for beginning readers. Preschool-Grade 2. --Ilene Cooper

Review

“A quiet gem.” (School Library Journal (starred review) )

“Imagination grows and spreads from the fertile pages of this book to the minds of young readers…A must for every library.” (School Library Journal (starred review) )

“This intimate exploration of a child’s burgeoning imagination hits every note right…Just plain perfect.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review) )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; First Edition edition (February 28, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062081950
• ISBN-13: 978-0062081957
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Performing Arts
  • #96 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels

More About the Author

Kevin Henkes is the creator of many distinguished books for children, including Kitten's First Full Moon (winner of the Caldecott Medal), Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, and Chrysanthemum. His novels for young people include Olive's Ocean (a Newbery Honor Book) and Bird Lake Moon.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, light read. March 6, 2012

By Heidi Grange

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

In this book, Henkes introduces us to a new character, a character just as interesting and unique as Owen or Lily, a character who loves to sing. Penny arrives home from school wanting to sing her song for her family. After both mom and dad interrupt her performance to remind her that the babies are sleeping and she needs to be quiet, Penny determines to sing her song for herself. But she discovers that singing to herself is just not the same as singing for someone else. She searches her room for someone to perform for without success. Finally, her parents come to her rescue and Penny gets to sing her song.

This is a fun story of self-confidence and finding joy in the simple things. It distinctly reminds me of a girl at my school who invents and shares songs at the drop of a hat. This is one of the things I love about working with young children, they are so unselfconscious and so willing to share and they still get excited about simple things. In typical Henkes fashion the illustrations are bright and cheerful and welcoming. I would be surprised if this book doesn't inspire readers to create their own songs, in fact that would be a fun activity to do with this book.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A delight for new readers March 16, 2012

By Great Kid Books VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Young children will delight in Kevin Henkes' first book for beginning readers. They will relate to Penny and the way she just wants her parents to listen to her. But most of all, they will delight in singing Penny's song themselves, in bringing alive Henkes' simple words. The illustrations, in softly bright watercolors and clear black ink, support the text on each page. The variety of spot art, half page boxes, and some sequential small boxes adds variety, integrating the illustrations with the text. While Penny will remind readers of Henkes' outgoing Lily, Penny is her own character, singing her own song.

This book is perfect for new readers who enjoy simple, sweet family stories. It has delighted several of our 1st graders. I just wish I could capture the way they sang Penny's song for themselves. This won't draw readers who want a big laugh or lots of action. But it will bring a lot of pleasure to a quiet kid.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute - but now what I was expecting March 2, 2012

By IndyMom

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Let me start by saying that I LOVE Kevin Henkes! I was so excited when I found out he had a new mouse book. This book is very cute. It is a nice story, and the illustrations are beautiful, as always. My problem is that I was wanting a Kevin Henkes mouse book, and this was just a nice Kevin Henkes picture book. The best part about the mouse books, in my opinion, is that there is such a strong, dominant protagonist with a vibrant, unique personality. The story really revolves around each mouse's personality, and they become characters that my children (and I) grow to love and feel a connection to. Penny, though a cute little mouse, has no real personality. But, all in all, it is a lovely book with a very sweet story. I still enjoyed it.