School Library Journal (Thu May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

PreS-Gr 2 Hayes successfully combines a comic-book format with effective easy-reader elements to introduce two delightful mouse siblings. Penny, clothed in pale-blue princess regalia, persistently seeks out her older brothers company, though Benny, who is busy playing pirate, brushes her off repeatedly. Finally fed up, Benny calls her a dumb, bad little sister! and she dissolves into tears. After an offstage intercession from Mom, Benny suggests a game of hide-and-seek, hurries Penny into an outdoor storage bin, and tells her to stay put. Time passes without Penny making an appearance. Benny begins to miss her and is relieved when she finally turns up, explaining, I had to go pee-pee! After Penny proves her courage by shooing away a frightening dragonfly, Benny apologizes for his harsh words; the sibs share a huggy and then play pirates together. The simple language, brief sentences, and clean layoutwith large text, easy-to-follow sequencing, and an uncluttered designare appropriate for newly independent readers. The warm-hued panel pictures contain enough detail to provide visual clues and create a sense of place while briskly propelling the action forward. The characters have expressive features that reflect changing emotions, and the sibling relationship is sweetly and realistically portrayed. A fresh and fun choice for beginning readersespecially those discouraged by text-heavy pagesand for sharing aloud. Joy Fleishhacker , School Library Journal

Starred Review for Publishers Weekly

Hayes, creator of the Otto and Uncle Tooth mysteries, chooses mouse siblings as the subjects for this comic book cum easy reader, first in a planned series (see <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Silly Lilly, reviewed p. 69). Jazzy, multipanel layouts add a contemporary dimension to simply worded episodes about an eager younger sister and standoffish brother who relish their rivalry more than they admit. Benny fashions himself as a buccaneer with a black tricorn hat and a wooden sword; when he stands in a crate, a thought bubble shows him aboard a galleon that flies the Jolly Roger. Sweet-natured Penny, clad in baby-blue princess gear, wants to play, too, and he automatically rebuffs her: “No! Pirates are brave, and you are a cry-baby.” At last Benny initiates a game of hide-and-seek, with no intention of seeking—at least, until Penny disappears. Hayes’s colored-pencil pictures set the action near the ground, in cozy panels depicting a secure woodland space. Shallow backgrounds ensure that the outside world never intrudes, except when Benny is startled by bugs that don’t faze his sister. A close-range perspective gives readers a good look at Benny and Penny’s facial expressions, supplying the context for the dialogue. These skillful drawings do just what they attempt: they lever beginning readers right into the story. Ages 4-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Apr.)

Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2008)

Starred Review Benny the mouse wants to pretend he's brave Benny the Pirate, and he has a crate that makes a terrific pirate ship. Then his younger sister, Penny, dressed in a princess outfit, arrives, wanting to be a pirate, too. Benny calls her a crybaby, and their disagreement escalates until Benny loses his patience does make Penny cry ("Go away! You are a dumb, bad little sister!"). He eventually agrees to play hide-and-seek, but when Penny hides, Benny rushes off to play pirate without her. Penny doesn't come out, so Benny looks for her. Later when Penny saves Benny from some ugly bugs, he takes back his cruel words. The sweet, delicately colored illustrations have an old-fashioned feel that gives the familiar sibling story a timeless quality, while the simple yet varied panel arrangement allows even very young children to understand the difference between a comic and a picture book. The text uses a limited but rich vocabulary with sufficient repetition to help with word recognition, and children will easily grasp the message while appreciating Benny's change of heart at the story's close. A charmer that will invite repeated readings.

Kirkus Reviews

In this graphic mini-novel, a mouse in pirate dress fends off the overtures of his persistent little sister (garbed as a princess), then turns out to be more of a wuss than she is when it comes to bugs. Launching an easy-reader series with this tried-and-true narrative arc, this episode features two very young-looking sibs moving through an idyllic outdoorsy setting and, after a series of tiffs and temporary setbacks, sharing a make-up hug before embarking together on an imagined pirate adventure. Framed in well-separated panels of diverse shape, the art incorporates "plewds," "briffits" and other visual conventions from comics, along with a mix of dialogue balloons and boxed narrative snippets. Emergent readers should have no trouble following along—or (except perhaps for only children) identifying with the situation. (Easy reader. 5-6)