Benny and Penny in Just Pretend

Not quite as good as the second Benny and Penny book; I think Hayes was smart to get rid of the authorial directions that are at the beginning and end of this title. The sibling interactions are definitely true to life, although I'm not a huge fan of Benny calling a Penny a cry-baby (which seems like it may be a recurring theme through the series). The illustrations look like they're done in colored pencil to me, although there's no note to confirm that. There's a softness to the style and color choices that give the illustrations a somewhat old-fashioned feel that adds to their appeal. An excellent choice for early readers, although I gravitate towards a little goofier, more broadly humorous titles myself.

A graphic novel for the younger set, this sweet book will appeal to kindergarten and first graders. Anyone with younger siblings can relate to the plot. The illustrations and simple repeated text move the story along. This is part of a series including Benny and Penny and the Toy Breaker and Benny and Penny and the Big No No. These will work well for struggling readers and students ready but reluctant to move into chapter books. My library includes several Toon Books that are popular with my students. I can't wait to share these also.

1st-2nd grade
This is a great beginning reader graphic that explores sibling conflict and creative play. Penny and Benny are brother and sister animals, and Benny is trying to play pirates, but Penny wants to play. The siblings navigate a conflict to find a resolution. I would use this book in my classroom to imporve readings skills, storyline understanding, and teaching about creative play and solving conflict.

Primary
Benny and Penny are brother and sister mice. Benny wants to play by himself, even though Penny wants to play with him. Eventually Benny apologizes to her and they play together.
This is a good book to have in a kindergarten classroom because it is simple and it shows conflict resolution and apologies. It also shows relatable things like playing pretend and fighting with siblings.

Extraordinarily cute depictions of typical sibling problems-but it's sweeter with mice! A quick read with simple vocabulary for young readers and issues any kid can identify with. Parents will enjoy this as well and certainly recognize their own children in this series.

This is such a great book to understand not only conflict between siblings but even between friends. Learning how to accept everyone if there is a way to adapt a game to include everyone is such a great skill to have in your toolbox. Great simple read for 1st graders.

A fun book about a brother who doesn't want to play with his younger sister. The use of a graphic or cartoon format really adds a cute element to the story. A perfect fit for young readers, my first graders loved this story. We even tied it in with a writing lesson and made our own cartoon stories afterward. It was a fun twist to our normal read aloud and a great addition to my library.