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ONE PROUD PENNY

Name: ONE PROUD PENNY
Author: Randy Siegel
ISBN: 978-1-62672-235-4

by Randy Siegel ; illustrated by Serge Bloch ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 10, 2017

Worth every penny.

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A penny’s rough-and-tumble escapades lead to unexpected ends in Siegel and Bloch’s engaging picture book.

The protagonist penny’s journey begins in Philadelphia, where the United States Mint manufactures most U.S. pennies. “Born” in 1983, Siegel’s diminutive protagonist visits different parts of the U.S. spanning Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, “plus Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico,” and including a garage floor in Green Bay and a stamp machine in Ohio. Most of the time people just plain overlook this plucky one-cent coin. “I hated being alone and forgotten.” After the penny ends up in a jar with other unfortunate coins, it reminisces about the past, when things weren’t so expensive. Though Siegel’s text often dwells on the neglect and (comically overwrought) abuse inflicted on the penny-protagonist, the author does also appeal to the coin’s historical roots, sprinkling in moments of levity and informative goodness. (One marvelous spread even outlines the different metals used to create pennies throughout the years.) Luckily, Bloch’s off-kilter, at times almost grotesque, pen-and-Photoshop illustrations provide some much-needed chuckles, featuring various people and animals with contorted faces and wacky scenarios. Still, it’s all about the wonders of the penny, and Siegel’s protagonist proves an excellent ambassador. “Some folks think pennies are worthless, but I know we are worth a lot.” Here’s a book sure to convince some readers.

Worth every penny. (historical note, selected facts, resources) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-62672-235-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook

Review Posted Online: Sept. 18, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S HISTORY

- BOOK REVIEW
MY SNAKE BLAKE
by Randy Siegel & illustrated by Serge Bloch

- BOOK REVIEW
GRANDMA'S SMILE
by Randy Siegel & illustrated by DyAnne DiSalvo

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY FROM THE CRAYONS

by Drew Daywalt ; illustrated by Oliver Jeffers ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 4, 2025

Another endearing and amusing outing with these winsome characters.

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The Crayons love a holiday, and Mother’s Day is no exception.

Every color is different, and so is every mom. Purple’s mother, seated cross-legged in a yoga pose, “doesn’t color inside the lines.” Red’s works tirelessly to support her family, which sometimes means missing holidays. White Crayon adores his mother, “even though he can’t see her” (the accompanying image shows both crayons fading into the white background), while pale lime green Esteban’s mom supports his “dreams of adventure” by helping him pack. All the Crayons celebrate their families on this day, and not all the parents look like their children or are mothers. Laudably, Daywalt and Jeffers depict a variety of different families, allowing many readers to feel seen: Black can’t contain her love for both her mothers, the hair-covered brownish-beige Barfy Crayon embraces his stepmom, Chunky Toddler (a chubby crayon with a bite taken out of him) pays tribute to his dad on Mother’s Day, Yellow and Orange honor their grandmother, and Maroon, presumably adopted, sings the praises of his mom, a pot of glue who literally holds the family together. As in previous Crayon books, Jeffers’ elegantly quirky and humorous illustrations complement Daywalt’s delightful text, which adeptly balances humor and heart.

Another endearing and amusing outing with these winsome characters. (Picture book. 4-8)