Benny's Pennies

by Pat Brisson, Bob Barner (Illustrator)

Overview

An easy-to-understand children's story about financial literacy and the value of giving and saving—even five pennies! 

Benny McBride starts his day with five new pennies and is determined to spend them all. His mother wants him to buy something beautiful. His brother wants something good to eat. His sister wants something nice to wear. Benny knows his dog and cat would like something too. With the help of generous and thoughtful neighbors, Benny fulfills each request with a penny and arrives home with five but simple gifts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780440410164
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	07/01/1995
Series:	Picture Yearling Book
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	128,282
Product dimensions:	10.06(w) x 8.06(h) x 0.14(d)
Lexile:	440L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

PAT BRISSON is a former teacher and the author of a number of children's and YA books, including Benny's Pennies. She lives in Phillipsburg, NJ. For more info about her writing and school visits, go to patbrisson.com.

BOB BARNER has illustrated many picture books using a paper collage technique, including Dem Bones; The Day of the Dead/El Dia de Los Muertos; and Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Learn more about his work at bobbarner.com.

Editorial Reviews

PW praised the ``sunny and unusually textured torn-and cut-paper collages'' in this tale of a boy's shopping expedition, adding, ``Well-chosen language, cumulative refrain and judiciously placed rhymes lend the text a pleasing musicality.'' Ages 3-6. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 1-A rhyming cumulative story about a boy who has five pennies and wants to spend them all. As he walks along, he comes across a woman cutting roses, a girl baking cookies, a boy making paper hats, a fisherman catching fish, and a butcher cutting meat, and does business with each of them. The illustrations are done in textured-paper collages, highlighted with pastels and colored pencils. The paper is layered to give a three-dimensional, sculptured effect. The figures are shown generally in profile and are very stylized: all of them, including an African-American boy, seem to be cut from the same silhouette. This technique gives the art a static, friezelike quality, even though motion is indicated. Also, there are few visual cues to make the transition from one scene to the next. Despite these awkward elements, the variety of textures is appealing and the text will fill the bill for continuing requests for predictable pattern books.-Linda Wicher, Highland Park Public Library, IL

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