I liked and disliked this book. It didn't really interest me, but I did pick out a few meanings it the story that could be relatable for young readers. The one part of the story that stuck out to me the most, was the fact of how happy Penny was when she received her doll. I remember when a simple little doll was the greatest thing in the world to me. So it was kind of fun reading this story and thinking "I remember being so happy whenever I got a doll." This charming Henkes title is an easy read designed for a level two or three reader. Illustrated throughout with Henkes charming drawings of Penny and her family of mice, the drawings closely follow the text and provide lots of picture clues to help the reader along.The book is structured in three chapters. In the first, Penny is gardening with her mother and gets a package from her grandmother which turns out to be a doll. Henkes captures the joy of a child receiving an unexpected gift. Penny’s mother makes her read the note in the package first, implicitly teaching young children what is polite behavior. The second chapter concerns Penny’s dilemma about naming the doll and the third brings resolution when Penny decides on a name. The text models good behavior on the part of Penny and her parents. Penny is worried she won’t be able to think of a good name for her doll but her parents are reassuring, and confident that Penny will come up with something. The book functions well as a read aloud or for a child who wants to read to herself. The simple repeated phrases reinforce learning and contribute to confidence in learning to read. There is also a gentle humor in the book which will appeal to young readers. Penny’s mother is weeding and remarks that there are a lot of weeds. Penny says there are a lot of flowers. I like the way this shows a difference of perception between the two generations. The pastel colors and simple line drawings and watercolor (?) wash are calming and would help children who might be anxious about reading. The typeface is large and there are a limited number of words on each page. There is also plenty of white space and the illustrations predominate.The denouement in which Penny decides on a name for her doll will also appeal to children who need to find their own power and trust in it. Indeed the book delves in its own way into the power of naming.
Penny continues to charm with her very believeable concerns about even the most smile daily events.
—anadiro
Simple start, great for a beginning reader to practice their literacy skills.
—Ashleyanne1995
Better than most easy readers, complete with that Henkes sweetness.
—nep
Emma really enjoyed this story.
—queenstar
E
—shuvo
