Penny: The Forgotten Coin - Hardcover

Brennan-Nelson, Denise

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1585361283 ISBN 13: 9781585361281

Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press, 2003

Synopsis

Found by a young boy and placed into his pocket for safekeeping, Penny feels useless compared to the exciting Superball, the shiny Marble, the adventuresome Rock, and the colorful Bubblegum. But as she reminisces about her life and history, she realizes her worth, and it is reinforced by the young boy's need for her in an important decision. Denise Brennan-Nelson's boundless energy and enthusiasm comes from her days as a motivational speaker. Since the publication of her first book, Buzzy the Bumblebee in 1999, Denise has taken that enthusiasm into schools and inspired thousands of children to "bee-lieve" in themselves. Her second title, My Momma Likes to Say, shares her interest in and knowledge of clichés, idioms, and funny expressions used by adults and often misunderstood by the children who hear them. Award-winning wildlife artist Michael Glenn Monroe is also known for his charming character illustrations in such titles as Buzzy the Bumblebee, A Wish to be a Christmas Tree (read aloud on the Today Show in 2002 by Katie Couric), and The Christmas Humbugs. He brings this lively brand of illustration to the adventures of Penny.

About this title

About the Author:

Denise Brennan-Nelson's books with Sleeping Bear Press include the Likes to Say series, Someday Is Not a Day of the Week, and Buzzy the bumblebee. As a national speaker, she travels the country sharing her reading and writing enthusiasm with schoolchildren and teachers. Denise lives in Howell, Michigan.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 4--A young boy finds a penny and puts it in his pocket, much to the irritation of the other "treasures" that reside there. Then, the perspective shifts to Penny's point of view. After being told that she is worthless by the other objects, the coin reminisces about "happier days," being tossed in a fountain, paying for candy or a pony ride, and being collected in a jar for the Red Cross. Beneath these rhyming verses, background information about the creation and use of pennies throughout United States history is presented in an extremely small font. Writing in the first person and using an enthusiastic tone ("I like pennies!"), the author asks readers to question their family members about the long-ago uses of this coin. The large, brightly colored paintings help to move the action along. Penny is depicted as a 1934 beauty with blue eyes and stick limbs. Similar in style to Loreen Leedy's Follow the Money! (Holiday, 2002), Brennan-Nelson's offering has a denser text and less appealing artwork. References in the story portion of the text will only be understood if the factual part is read or explained to children, and the tale itself is contrived. Stuck somewhere between a picture book and an informational account, this Penny is not worth saving.--Erlene Bishop Killeen, Fox Prairie Elementary School, Stoughton, WI
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About this edition

• Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1585361283
• ISBN 13: 9781585361281
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Monroe Michael Glenn