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Summary
Summary
Why won't Benny help? Penny found a dead salamander, but her brother Benny is refusing to help her bury it. Is it silly to hold a service for Little Sallie, or could this tiny salamander mean something more to the siblings? Geisel Award-winner Geoffrey Hayes shares this gentle tale of a child's early encounter with death.
Bestselling author Geoffrey Hayes has written and illustrated over forty children's books, including the extremely popular series of early readers Otto and Uncle Tooth , the classic Bear by Himself , the Patrick Bear books, and When the Wind Blew by Caldecott Medal-winning author Margaret Wise Brown. His TOON Book series of Benny and Penny books has garnered multiple awards. In 2009, Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! received the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award given by the American Library Association for "the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English."
Author Notes
Geoffrey Hayes was born in Pasadena, California on December 3, 1947. He studied at Hunter College, the Art Students League, and the School of Visual Arts. Before becoming a children's author and illustrator, he worked in the art department at an advertising firm and in the interior design department at an architectural firm. In 1974, he brought a portfolio of his artwork to Harper and Row. His first picture book, Bear by Himself, was published in 1976. He created more than 50 books for children including the Otto and Uncle Tooth early reader series, Benny and Penny in Just Pretend, and Benny and Penny in the Big No-No!, which won the 2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. He also illustrated several works by other authors including When the Wind Blew by Margaret Wise Brown, which was selected as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. He died on June 2, 2017 at the age of 69.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-In this addition to the celebrated series, Benny and Penny, the mouse siblings who are prone to squabbling but quick to hug and make up, learn about death. Penny notices that Little Red, a salamander, has died, but when she tells big brother Benny, he brushes her off. With soft lines and a muted palette, Hayes's colored pencil illustrations have a gentle quality, and though the story is more somber than previous outings, the homey setting and familiar characters, as well as the decision to make this a relatively low-stakes death (an animal rather than a parent or relative), temper what could have been a more melancholy tone. Hayes is forthright, showing the mice interacting with the salamander's body. He acknowledges that children often have mixed reactions to death: Penny is upset about her friend's demise, and she and her pal Melina, a mole, decide to hold a burial; Benny is initially brusque but later confides tearfully that he regrets his uncharitable behavior toward Little Red. Concise text, conveyed entirely through speech bubbles, and a simple narrative make this ideal for budding young readers. VERDICT A wonderful and sensitively handled offering; purchase where the series is popular or where titles on death are needed.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Hayes thoughtfully portrays an array of emotions surrounding death in this sixth book starring mouse siblings Benny and Penny. Penny is distraught after she discovers a dead salamander, but Benny is grossed out: "Eeew! Put that thing down," he shouts, flinging the dead amphibian into a bush with a "whack!" Helped by Melina the mole, Penny sets out to give Little Red a proper burial (it involves a shoebox, fond memories, and a rousing chorus of "the monkey ate the cheese"), and eventually Benny is struck by feelings of loss and regret. With humor, directness, and unfailing honesty, Hayes's sensitive cartooning and sharp dialogue play up the big emotions of these little mice. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Mouse siblings Benny and Penny discover a deceased Little Red--their salamander playmate--under a pile of leaves. Penny sets about burying Little Red, as Benny struggles with guilt over his unkindness while Little Red was alive. The graphic novel format makes multiple perspectives accessible to beginning readers. Soft, autumnal colored-pencil illustrations suit the gentle exploration of death. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* It's no secret that comics tend toward hyperbolic action, and perhaps in an effort to match the pandemonium of most cartoons, this is especially true when appealing to younger readers. Hayes' achievement is, then, all the more remarkable. Through six Benny and Penny books, he has explored the emotional landmarks of young children's lives with subtlety, nuance, and gentle insight, with scarcely a zap or pow to be found. In this case, the brother-and-sister mice stumble on the mortal remains of Red the salamander and must learn to say good-bye for the first time. Penny and her friend, Melina, set out to honor the salamander with a funeral, but Benny, harboring guilt over how he sometimes treated Red, refuses to take part. Hayes' grasp of children's inner lives is deep and lovely, granting them not only the complexity to experience resounding sorrow and guilt but also the tools to overcome, with a little help and understanding, these difficult feelings. Hayes' meticulously delineated figures exude a nearly tactile softness and warmth, and his generously detailed panels are fluidly and imaginatively laid out so that, even without the bombastic action, readers will engage at every step. An exemplary installment in an already successful series.--Karp, Jesse Copyright 2016 Booklist
