Penny and Her Marble
Penny and Her Marble
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HarperCollins
Just the Series: I Can Read! Level 1: Penny   

Series and Publisher: I Can Read! Level 1: Penny   

Annotation: Penny feels guilty after taking a beautiful blue marble that she sees in Mrs. Goodwin's grass, but gets a pleasant surprise when she goes to return it the next day.
Genre: [Animal fiction]
 
Reviews: 7
Catalog Number: #72039
Format: Perma-Bound Edition
Special Formats: Chapter Book Chapter Book
Common Core/STEAM: Common Core Common Core
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright Date: 2013
Edition Date: 2013 Release Date: 08/27/13
Pages: 48 pages
ISBN: Publisher: 0-06-208205-1 Perma-Bound: 0-605-72140-8
ISBN 13: Publisher: 978-0-06-208205-3 Perma-Bound: 978-0-605-72140-1
Dewey: E
LCCN: 2012000708
Dimensions: 23 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

Starred Review One morning, while pushing her doll's stroller past Mrs. Goodwin's house, Penny spies a big, sky-blue marble in her neighbor's grass. After checking that no one is watching, she puts it in her pocket. Back at home, she enjoys playing with her new treasure until she sees Mrs. Goodwin in her yard "exactly where Penny had found the marble." Suddenly Penny feels uncomfortable. That feeling grows, making it hard for her to eat or sleep. The next morning, after putting the marble back where she found it, she learns that her neighbor had placed it there in hopes that someone would find and love it. When Penny accepts the marble from Mrs. Goodwin and thanks her, all is well. Through his narratives, Henkes conveys shades of emotions that are common to the human experience yet hard to express in words. It's particularly impressive that he can do so in a book for beginning readers. Told in short sentences and simple words with a natural cadence, the story lays out a moral dilemma, lets the heroine find her own solution, and concludes with a reassuringly good outcome. Expressive ink-and-watercolor illustrations complement the text on every page. This small-scale yet immensely satisfying drama is a fine addition to the Penny series. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Henkes's second book for beginning readers is sure to be as well received as his first, Penny and Her Song (2012).

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Whose marble is it? In this third early reader about a little anthropomorphic mouse named Penny, Henkes continues to plumb the emotional world of childhood as few author/illustrators can. The story begins with Penny taking a walk and pushing her beloved doll, Rose, in a stroller. She heeds Mama's admonition that she "[o]nly go as far as Mrs. Goodwin's house," and when she arrives there, she spies a shiny blue marble at the edge of the lawn. Though unsure whether she should do so, Penny pockets the glinting little orb and scurries home. Later, Penny's conscience bothers her, and the marble hidden in her drawer adopts a presence akin to Poe's telltale heart. She can't bring herself to tell her concerned parents what is bothering her, and after a fitful night's sleep, she goes for another walk to return the marble. Hoping to make a quick getaway after surreptitiously replacing it, Penny is worried when her neighbor approaches. Will Mrs. Goodwin be angry that she took the marble? As it turns out, Mrs. Goodwin purposefully put the marble on her lawn in the hope that someone would find it and take it home as a little treasure. Reassured, Penny thanks Mrs. Goodwin and walks home, imagining herself beside a sea as blue as her new marble. Henkes' characteristically meticulous vignettes both expand the story and provide picture clues to help new readers along. Another gem. (Early reader. 5-8)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2013)

PreS-Gr 2 In the latest installment in the series, the young mouse is pushing her doll's stroller down the block when she spies a marble on her neighbor's lawn. After furtively looking around, Penny drops it in her pocket and races home. At first she delights in her new treasure, enjoying how smooth it feels between her fingers and how fast it rolls across the floor, but then she is overcome with guilt for taking something that doesn't belong to her. Henkes's nuanced watercolor and ink illustrations capture the shame-filled mouse hiding behind curtains. As she continues to worry, she loses her appetite: "The oranges in the bowl looked like big orange marbles. The peas on her plate looked like little green marbles." After a dream-filled night, Penny decides to put the marble back where she found it. When confronted by Mrs. Goodwin, Penny's "cheeks were hot. She could not speak," but her kind neighbor reassures her that she put the marble on the grass hoping someone would pick it up. Readers will empathize with Penny and her conflicted emotions. The short sentences with plenty of repetition and superb pacing make this title perfect for beginning readers. A treasure.— Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

In this third early reader about Penny, she spies a marble on Mrs. Godwin's lawn. "The marble seemed to say, 'Take me home.'" And Penny does, as the illustrations show that she clearly knows this is something she shouldn't do. A respect for the early reader's emerging skills beautifully matches Henkes's respect for Penny and this common crisis of childhood.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Whose marble is it? In this third early reader about a little anthropomorphic mouse named Penny, Henkes continues to plumb the emotional world of childhood as few author/illustrators can. The story begins with Penny taking a walk and pushing her beloved doll, Rose, in a stroller. She heeds Mama's admonition that she "[o]nly go as far as Mrs. Goodwin's house," and when she arrives there, she spies a shiny blue marble at the edge of the lawn. Though unsure whether she should do so, Penny pockets the glinting little orb and scurries home. Later, Penny's conscience bothers her, and the marble hidden in her drawer adopts a presence akin to Poe's telltale heart. She can't bring herself to tell her concerned parents what is bothering her, and after a fitful night's sleep, she goes for another walk to return the marble. Hoping to make a quick getaway after surreptitiously replacing it, Penny is worried when her neighbor approaches. Will Mrs. Goodwin be angry that she took the marble? As it turns out, Mrs. Goodwin purposefully put the marble on her lawn in the hope that someone would find it and take it home as a little treasure. Reassured, Penny thanks Mrs. Goodwin and walks home, imagining herself beside a sea as blue as her new marble. Henkes' characteristically meticulous vignettes both expand the story and provide picture clues to help new readers along. Another gem. (Early reader. 5-8)

Reviewing Agencies: - Find Other Reviewed Titles
Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews
School Library Journal Starred Review (Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2013)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Wilson's Children's Catalog
Word Count: 876
Reading Level: 2.5
Interest Level: P-2
Accelerated Reader: reading level: 2.5 / points: 0.5 / quiz: 156814 / grade: Lower Grades
Reading Counts!: reading level:2.2 / points:1.0 / quiz:Q60044
Lexile: 470L
Guided Reading Level: K

Caldecott Medalist Kevin Henkes’s award-winning Penny returns in the third I Can Read story about a sweet and curious mouse, perfect for fans of Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, and Chrysanthemum

When Penny spots a marble in Mrs. Goodwin's front yard, she picks it up, puts it in her pocket, and takes it home. It's a beautiful marble—it's big, shiny, blue, smooth, and fast, and Penny loves it. But does the marble really belong to Penny?

Penny and Her Marble was named a 2014 Geisel Honor book by the American Library Association. This annual award, given to the most distinguished books for beginning readers, is named for the world-renowned children's author Theodor Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss.

Kevin Henkes is a master at creating beautifully illustrated books that resonate with young children. The Penny books are new classics for beginning readers and will appeal to fans of Frog and Toad, Little Bear, and Henry and Mudge. Penny and Her Marble is a Level One I Can Read book, which means it's perfect for children learning to sound out words and sentences. Whether shared at home or in a classroom, the short sentences, familiar words, and simple concepts of Level One books support success for children eager to start reading on their own.

Don't miss Penny's newest adventures in Penny and Her Sled!


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