“[S]weet, delicately colored illustrations have an old-fashioned feel that gives the familiar sibling story a timeless quality…A charmer that will invite repeated readings.” – Booklist (starred review)
How can Benny pretend to be a brave pirate when his pesky little sister, Penny, wants to tag along and is always asking for a hug? He tries to lose her, but when he does, he starts to feel a little lost himself. Penny proves her bravery and saves Benny from a bug. They hug as Benny explains he was only pretending she bugged him.
Veteran children’s book author and illustrator Geoffrey Hayes returns to his childhood love of comics, bringing unforgettable characters to life. With rare warmth and humor, he insightfully catches the essence of the bonds and tensions that unite siblings.
Hayes, creator of the Otto and Uncle Tooth mysteries, chooses mouse siblings as the subjects for this comic book cum easy reader, first in a planned series. Jazzy, multipanel layouts add a contemporary dimension to simply worded episodes about an eager younger sister and standoffish brother who relish their rivalry more than they admit. Benny fashions himself as a buccaneer with a black tricorn hat and a wooden sword; when he stands in a crate, a thought bubble shows him aboard a galleon that flies the Jolly Roger. Sweet-natured Penny, clad in baby-blue princess gear, wants to play, too, and he automatically rebuffs her: No! Pirates are brave, and you are a cry-baby. At last Benny initiates a game of hide-and-seek, with no intention of seeking at least, until Penny disappears. Hayes's colored-pencil pictures set the action near the ground, in cozy panels depicting a secure woodland space. Shallow backgrounds ensure that the outside world never intrudes, except when Benny is startled by bugs that don t faze his sister. A close-range perspective gives readers a good look at Benny and Penny's facial expressions, supplying the context for the dialogue. These skillful drawings do just what they attempt: they lever beginning readers right into the story. Ages 4-up. (Apr.) --Publisher's Weekly
[starred review]
Benny the mouse wants to pretend he's brave Benny the Pirate, and he has a crate that makes a terrific pirate ship. Then his younger sister, Penny, dressed in a princess outfit, arrives, wanting to be a pirate, too. Benny calls her a crybaby, and their disagreement escalates until Benny loses his patience and does make Penny cry ("Go away! You are a dumb, bad little sister!"). He eventually agrees to play hide-and-seek, but when Penny hides, Benny rushes off to play pirate without her. Penny doesn t come out, so Benny looks for her. Later when Penny saves Benny from some ugly bugs, he takes back his cruel words. The sweet, delicately colored illustrations have an old-fashioned feel that gives the familiar sibling story a timeless quality, while the simple yet varied panel arrangement allows even very young children to understand the difference between a comic and a picture book. The text uses a limited but rich vocabulary with sufficient repetition to help with word recognition, and children will easily grasp the message while appreciating Benny's change of heart at the story's close. A charmer that will invite repeated readings. Kat Kan --Booklist
In this graphic mini-novel, a mouse in pirate dress fends off the overtures of his persistent little sister (garbed as a princess), then turns out to be more of a wuss than she is when it comes to bugs. Launching an easy-reader series with this tried-and-true narrative arc, this episode features two very young-looking sibs moving through an idyllic outdoorsy setting and, after a series of tiffs and temporary setbacks, sharing a make-up hug before embarking together on an imagined pirate adventure. Framed in well-separated panels of diverse shape, the art incorporates plewds, briffits and other visual conventions from comics, along with a mix of dialogue balloons and boxed narrative snippets. Emergent readers should have no trouble following along or (except perhaps for only children) identifying with the situation. (Easy reader. 5-6) --Kirkus Reviews
[starred review]
Benny the mouse wants to pretend he's brave Benny the Pirate, and he has a crate that makes a terrific pirate ship. Then his younger sister, Penny, dressed in a princess outfit, arrives, wanting to be a pirate, too. Benny calls her a crybaby, and their disagreement escalates until Benny loses his patience and does make Penny cry ("Go away! You are a dumb, bad little sister!"). He eventually agrees to play hide-and-seek, but when Penny hides, Benny rushes off to play pirate without her. Penny doesn t come out, so Benny looks for her. Later when Penny saves Benny from some ugly bugs, he takes back his cruel words. The sweet, delicately colored illustrations have an old-fashioned feel that gives the familiar sibling story a timeless quality, while the simple yet varied panel arrangement allows even very young children to understand the difference between a comic and a picture book. The text uses a limited but rich vocabulary with sufficient repetition to help with word recognition, and children will easily grasp the message while appreciating Benny's change of heart at the story's close. A charmer that will invite repeated readings. Kat Kan --Booklist
In this graphic mini-novel, a mouse in pirate dress fends off the overtures of his persistent little sister (garbed as a princess), then turns out to be more of a wuss than she is when it comes to bugs. Launching an easy-reader series with this tried-and-true narrative arc, this episode features two very young-looking sibs moving through an idyllic outdoorsy setting and, after a series of tiffs and temporary setbacks, sharing a make-up hug before embarking together on an imagined pirate adventure. Framed in well-separated panels of diverse shape, the art incorporates plewds, briffits and other visual conventions from comics, along with a mix of dialogue balloons and boxed narrative snippets. Emergent readers should have no trouble following along or (except perhaps for only children) identifying with the situation. (Easy reader. 5-6) --Kirkus Reviews --此文字指 精装 版本。
作者简介
Geoffrey Hayes has written and illustrated over forty children’s books, including the extremely popular series of early readers Otto and Uncle Tooth, the classic Bear By Himself, and When the Wind Blew by Caldecott Medal-winning author Margaret Wise Brown.
