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Summary
Summary
Two girls on a play date learn there's more to each other than meets the eye with a little help from their dolls in Penny and Penelope , an exciting picture book adventure from writer Dan Richards and illustrator Claire Almon.
Penny and Penelope are very different dolls. Penelope is a sweet princess, while Penny is a fierce secret agent. Penelope wants to ride her pony through the countryside, while Penny wants to wrestle alligators. How can they possibly get along playing in an imaginary kingdom?
Luckily, Penny and Penelope are more than their packaging. After all, you can't judge a doll by its outfit.
An Imprint Book
"Delightfully clever." -- Kirkus Reviews , starred review
"Readers will cheer... there's a bit of Penny and Penelope in everyone." -- Publishers Weekly
Author Notes
Dan Richards has been perfecting the craft of storytelling since childhood. His work includes poetry, songs, screenplays and books for children of all ages. He is a graduate of the University of Washington Writing For Children Program where he wrote his debut picture book The Problem With NOT Being Scared Of Monsters . Dan lives with his family in Bothell, WA.
Claire Almon lives in Atlanta. She holds a BFA in illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design and an MFA in animation from Savannah College of Art and Design. She has experience working for clients including Netflix and Cartoon Network, among others.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
When two friends get together for a playdate, it seems on the surface that they couldn't be more different: the host is clad in purple and pink; the other wears a dinosaur shirt and circumspectly eyes her friend's frilly bedroom. Their respective dolls seem opposites, too: Princess Penelope wears a tiara and rides a doe-eyed pony, while Penny is a secret agent with a blunt bob, dark shades, and a sleek motorcycle. The story switches to the dolls' perspectives, which move from tea party fare to live-action heroics in an enchanted kingdom; when a werewolf invades, they work together to fight the interloper. Almon's plucky watercolors nail Penny's no-holds-barred attitude and Penelope's more whimsical nature. Readers will cheer when Penelope shows innovation and gusto, leaping onto Penny's racing bike and facing down the werewolf. One of the greatest joys of play is trying on different roles, Richards suggests-and there's a bit of Penny and Penelope in everyone. Ages 3-6. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
During a playdate, a young girl shows off her "perfect" bedroom with its canopy bed and child-size table set for a tea party. There's lots of pink and purple and pastel green in Almon's watercolor scene, along with flower details and heart accents. It's a room fit for a princess-as an embroidered pillow makes clear. It's equally clear that the playdate guest-who is wearing a dinosaur T-shirt and a frown-isn't thrilled about the room's girly-girl vibe. But she smiles when she sees her host's Princess Penelope doll, which has "real glass slippers and a diamond tiara"-for, as it turns out, the visitor has brought along her own Penelope doll. But hers, a secret agent named Penny, sports a sleek bob, sunglasses, and a black motorcycle jacket. With a page-turn, the story heads in a surprising direction: the two dolls (who resemble their respective owners) come to life, and the girls disappear from the illustrations. The dialogue-the book's only text-also shifts, as the dolls take over the speaking roles and battle over the story line. (Princess Penelope: "Perhaps we should wave to our adoring subjects." Penny: "Look out! There's a crocodile in the moat!") Adventures ensue, courage and cooperation save the day, and young readers learn that they can be frilly and fierce, thanks to this clever and amusing tale. Tanya D. Auger November/December 2019 p.75(c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
On their first play date, two girls have vastly different ideas about what their dolls can and should do. The hostess, a brown-skinned girl with puffy red hair whose "perfect" bedroom is princess themed, owns a Princess Penelope doll that wears an evening gown and "real glass slippers." The guest, an Asian girl wearing a dinosaur T-shirt, brought her Penny doll tooonly hers wears a black motorcycle jacket, boots, and sunglasses. Readers will note that each doll resembles her owner. The dolls take over in the illustrations, with alternating black and purple text showing the girls' suggestions for play. Princess Penelope wants to host a tea party and ride ponies. But Penny "isn't a princess" and doesn't have a pony. She's a secret agent with a racing bike. Their ideas of fun clash, but when a werewolf appears in the kingdom, Penelope shows that she's not "just a princess." The two team up, using the Princess' resourcefulness and Penny's skills to save the day. The watercolor illustrations move from a pastel-dominated palette interrupted by Penny's black suit to a green countryside and back again, skillfully transforming characters, expressions, and settings. The theme of merging girly things with smarts and power is rightly popular right now; this action-packed romp through two girls' imaginations is a fun addition to the collection.Delightfully clever. (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
