Penny and Her Doll (I Can Read Level 1)

This book is a sweet book about Henkes's beloved character Penny thinking of a name for her doll. I think that the story keeps the reader engaged the entire time. You just want to know what Penny is going to name her doll. Henkes does a great job of creating a good sense of family in his Penny books. The mice are relatable. Henkes use of pastels sets a light, positive mood for all of his Penny books. He also uses line to show his character's emotions and movement.

Even though Henkes is one of my favorite authors, he's prolific, and I have not read his oeuvre. ?áIn fact, I happened on Penny and her Marble by chance last week, and am only now going back to this, the first book. ?áFortunately, they do not need to be read in order... Henkes was careful (unlike some writers who just forget that readers of picture-books don't seldom series in order).

The second book is better. ?áIt's more dramatic, addressing one of the first social issues most children probably encounter. ?áIt's also likely to appeal to open-minded boys. ?áThis is all girl. ?áI think I may have liked it just a bit better... but then, I'm female and like sweet stories. ?áI will definitely try to get the third Penny show more book.

Btw, the three (so far?) Penny books are Leveled Readers... look for them with Frog & Toad and Mr. Putter & Tabby, if your library separates those from full-size picturebooks. show less

Penny has received a doll from her Gram and now must decide what to name her - a very important decision. Henkes manages to subtly and organically add to our knowledge of Penny's family - we learn everyone's names and see more of the house and garden. There's gentle humor throughout this series, such as when Mama says she doesn't have a favorite weed. This is definitely my favorite of the three I've read so far.

"Penny and Her Doll" is a sweet story about when Penny receives a doll from her Gram. Penny loves her new doll but cannot think of a name for her! Penny shows her new doll around the house and the name just comes to her! This is such an adorable story about a mouse and her new doll. I really love the fact that children can relate to a mouse. This will expand their imaginations. I know that Kevin Henkes has plenty more stories using mice and I would love to read some of them.

My little sister loved this book; she was so excited just from the cover. I chose this book only for her because she is the same way with her babies. It shows how the young girl cherishes their dolls. This book show responsibilities, I loved sharing this with her.

Young Reader Reaction: Our preteen loved Penny when she was learning to read, and wanted to read this newest title, too. She thought this was "sweet," and even though she predicted the name, she still said "awww," at the end.

Adult Reader Reaction: This is one of the sweetest Penny books yet. I loved that this was a gift from Gram and that Penny adopted her as a family member right away. The conversation between Mama and Penny in the garden is fun and doesn't joke "down" to young readers.

Pros: This sweet story about a girl, a doll, and her family, make this a wonderful read aloud for young children, not just developing readers.

To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.

This is a book by one of my favorite authors. I was very excited to read this book. I love that he made an early reader book. It was like all of his other books very enjoyable to read. I thought Penny was a very cute mouse character. She gets a gift in the mail, it's a little doll. She loves everything about this little doll, but can't decide on the right name for her. Very cute story. I think younger kids could relate to this story.