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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... Sheridan Public Library | J ER Hayes | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Independence Public Library | J JGN - HAYES | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... McMinnville Public Library | Hayes, G. | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Monmouth Public Library | J GN HAYES 2008 | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Newberg Public Library | J GRAPHIC HAYES | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Salem Main Library | J GRAPHIC Toon | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Silver Falls Library | JNF 741.5 HAYES | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Willamina Public Library | J GRAPHIC HAYS | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Woodburn Public Library | 1-2 Toon | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
How can Benny pretend to be a brave pirate when his pesky little sister, Penny, wants to tag along and is always asking for a hug? He tries to lose her, but when he does, he starts to feel a little lost himself. Penny proves her bravery, saves Benny from a bug, and gets the hug she wants.
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 (5)
School Library Journal Review
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 brother's 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 layout-with large text, easy-to-follow sequencing, and an uncluttered design-are 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 readers-especially those discouraged by text-heavy pages-and for sharing aloud.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
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 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. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
(Preschool, Primary) Comic books meet picture books in these three titles that demonstrate the power of the comics format for young readers and listeners. In Silly Lilly, Rosenstiehl introduces the four seasons through a preschooler's experiences, with each season receiving only a snapshot (for example, during the summer, Silly Lilly sees rocks, fish, and a creature in a shell), but with Lilly visibly growing as the year progresses. All text appears in conversation balloons, reinforcing in (or introducing to) young listeners the relationship between the words they hear and the words printed on the page. In Hayes's book, mouse siblings Benny and Penny squabble about playing together, and here the profusion of frames helps pace the action, while the simple vocabulary and familiar situation ("Benny, what did you do to Penny?" "Nothing!") allow beginning readers to call this one their own. Otto's Orange Day is a takeoff on the King Midas story with three chapters and a small twist at the end -- just enough to keep beginning chapter book readers on their toes without being overly challenged. Palettes change from book to book. Silly Lilly is all bright colors with uncluttered illustrations; Benny and Penny employs pastels that add a sweetness to the sometimes harsh treatment Benny gives Penny; and Otto, of course, is all about orange, dramatically showing how too much of a good thing is, well, too much. [Review covers these titles: Otto's Orange Day, Benny and Penny in Just Pretend, and Silly Lilly and the Four Season]From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
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) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*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.--Kan, Kat Copyright 2008 Booklist