Book
Benny and Penny in How to say goodbye : a Toon book / by Geoffrey Hayes.
"When their salamander friend dies, mouse siblings Benny and Penny learn how to say goodbye."--Provided by the publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781935179993
- Physical Description: 35 pages : colour illustrations ; 24 cm
- Publisher: New York : Toon Books, 2016.
- Copyright: ©2016.
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| Subject: | Mice > Comic books, strips, etc. Brothers and sisters > Comic books, strips, etc. Death > Comic books, strips, etc. Graphic novels. |
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Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibsons Public Library | JUV ER2 H (Text) | 30886000698262 | Early Readers | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2016 September #2
*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. Copyright 2016 Booklist Reviews. - Horn Book Guide Reviews : Horn Book Guide Reviews 2017 Spring
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. Copyright 2017 Horn Book Guide Reviews. - Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2016 July #2
The sixth title in the Benny and Penny graphic early reader series captures children's transitory emotions with quiet, forgiving humor. When Benny and Penny find a dead salamander, Penny names it Little Red and insists on a burial, while Benny thinks it's gross. The siblings' contrasting reactions continue throughout the tale. Their "grief" is just as transitory and matter-of-fact as that of the children in Margaret Wise Brown's The Dead Bird (re-issued with new illustrations by Christian Robinson in 2016), though the comic-book format and Hayes' age-appropriate humor update the story. (Benny, hiding behind a bush, sneezes, causing Penny and her mole friend Melina to check the corpse for signs of life.) Although Penny responds in stereotypical girl fashion, bringing flowers for the grave, Benny expresses emotions too. When they find a living salamander, Benny thinks it's Little Red's ghost, while Penny decides it's Red's sister and names it Paula. Speech bubbles used to tell the story guide readers through the pages, while warm, friendly illustrations reminiscent of another classic, Beatrix Potter, provide detail and humor for new readers to study. Death is an odd subject for a comic for young children, but Hayes handles it well. For newly independent readers, this is an alternative toânot a replacement forâBrown's classic. Another sweet, empathetic day with Benny and Penny. (Graphic early reader. 5-8) Copyright Kirkus 2016 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2016 August #2
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 4â8. (Sept.)
[Page ]. Copyright 2016 PWxyz LLC - School Library Journal Reviews : SLJ Reviews 2016 September
K-Gr 2âIn 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.âMahnaz Dar, School Library Journal. Copyright 2016 School Library Journal.
