Benny and Beautiful Baby Delilah (Phyllis Fogelman Books) - Hardcover

Van Leeuwen, Jean

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0803728913 ISBN 13: 9780803728912

Publisher: Dial, 2006

Synopsis

With everyone coming over to see the new baby, little Benny becomes frustrated with all the fuss and noise taking over his happy home, yet when his little sister begins to cry one night and doesn't stop, Benny jumps into action and learns an important lesson in the process.

About this title

About the Author

Jean Van Leeuwen lives in Westchester,New York.

LeUyen Pham lives in San Francisco, California.

Reviews

Starred Review. PreS–Benny gets his very own little sister, but realizes pretty quickly that shes not much fun. She cries all the time and takes up his space in the family, plus, as he confesses to his toy elephant, Shes not beautiful. I dont even like her. When he tries some of his best tricks for the visiting relatives, counting to forty-leven and doing a tumblesault, all anyone does is ogle the baby. Even so, this is a tightly knit family and its satisfying when Mom agrees with her sons assertion that Delilah looks like a chipmunk. In the end, after a long session of crying, Benny takes charge and is able to get Delilah to smile. It was like the sun coming out. While this well-paced story doesnt break any new ground thematically, it is realistic and heartwarming. What makes it truly shine is the art. The illustrations give the story the energy and emotions that make it a success. The characterizations, created with a heavy ink line, are expressive, jaunty, and lively. There is great joy and tenderness in the pages as Benny grows into his role as a big brother.–Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
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PreS-K. This retake on the well-worn theme of new babies gets life from its eye-catching artwork. Big brother Benny is getting the party line about his baby sister. What fun it will be to play with her and take care of her. How great it will be to sleep in a big boy's bed. But reality is quite different. She takes up their parents' time and the relatives' attention. Her worst quality is her constant crying. Nobody can sleep, and nothing stops her. Veterans of new-baby books will know what comes next: Benny makes a monkey face, and Delilah stops crying. What sets this apart from similar stories is Pham's fresh artwork--pictures that stylistically hint of Asia. Her liberal use of brush and ink to outline the watercolors makes the pictures jump boldly off the pages, and her distinctive way with faces and expressions is put to especially good use in a family scene including so many people that it requires a two-page spread. The well-deserved happy ending will be enjoyed by all. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Dial
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0803728913
• ISBN 13: 9780803728912
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Pham LeUyen
• Number of pages: 32