Penny Pangolin Wants a Pet

by Wayne D. Kramer, Jade Zivanovic (Illustrator)

Overview

Penny convinces her parents that she's responsible enough for more than just a pet plant. Out of an act of compassion blossoms an unexpected, unbreakable companionship with an orphaned red panda.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781955997126
Publisher:	Heroes of Time Productions, LLC.
Publication date:	10/01/2025
Series:	Penny Pangolin
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.12(d)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Wayne D. Kramer lives in the southern Indiana countryside with his wife and kids.

The idea for Penny Pangolin came to Wayne one day while discussing an interest in creating a series of children's picture books with his family. Pangolins, in particular, had always fascinated the kids. Wayne enjoys brainstorming new Penny ideas with his kids over smoothies at the coffee shop.

He graduated from the University of Louisville in 2005 with a Bachelor of Business Science. He has visited nearly 40 countries and 25 states in the US. He especially loved visiting Hobbiton in New Zealand.

Wayne is also author of the "Heroes of Time" adventure fantasy novel series. All of his works, including signed copies, are available from shop.heroesoftime.com.

Jade Zivanovic lives in rural Victoria, Australia with her husband and pets.

Jade has always enjoyed creating pictures that help to tell a story and has studied under prominent artists, also gaining a diploma in concept art and visual storytelling.

Her works hang in private collections across Australia, the US, and Europe. She has also been awarded placings in art shows, her favorite being a People's Choice Award, as she always considered herself an artist for the people.

Editorial Reviews

"A delightful children's picture book. The story reads well and is a great bedtime read for kids. The illustrations are warm and colorful too. Lovely!"

"A very colorful book that my granddaughter and I enjoyed reading together. The giggles and emotions that she had while reading about Penny made this Mimi's heart happy. We also enjoyed a search and find of critters that we saw throughout the book. Looking forward to more Penny adventures!"

"Five stars! Really cute short story with good messages. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, home use, or gift giving."

From the Publisher

2024-06-05
A pangolin named Penny learns about responsibility in Kramer’s picture book.

When Penny Pangolin asks for a pet for her birthday, her parents give her a plant instead. Penny loves her new plant (a Venus flytrap) and treats it with great care, taking it with her everywhere: “Sometimes her parents made the plant stay home. ‘But it’ll be lonely!’ Penny protested.” The only trouble is that the plant is quiet, and not cuddly like other pets. So, Penny asks her parents again for a pet; having witnessed Penny’s dedication to her plant, they acquiesce. When Penny discovers a trapped baby red panda, the critter turns out to be orphaned, so the Pangolins adopt him (Penny names him Mooky). Zivanovic’s illustrations use negative space on white pages and simple backgrounds on full-color pages, drawing readers’ focus to the detailed characters. The illustrations blend realistic fine pencil work and three-dimensional textures for the anthropomorphic characters and their clothing. The prose is descriptive and vibrant, and Penny’s empathetic inner life gives the story sincere depth. (“Penny tried to feel happy that Mooky would get to go home, but inside she felt like crying.”) Readers are invited to search the pictures for delightful details, like a jeweled flower mantis in the garden, or a rogue Vietnamese pheasant in the woods, which are labeled at the end of the book.

Kindheartedness meets kismet in this charming tale.

Kirkus Reviews