One Proud Penny

October 17, 2016
Though this story from the duo behind My Snake Blake includes factual information about where pennies are made (Philadelphia, mostly) and what they’re made from (zinc, mostly), this is also a story about an object that people don’t pay much attention to. “I’ve been sucked up and stuck in a vacuum cleaner more times than I can count,” says Siegel’s narrating penny. “I once spent a year in a sewer drain on the side of a busy street.” Bloch builds his drawings around an image of an actual 1983 penny, embellishing it with impishly scrawled ink lines. One spread shows the penny’s peregrinations around the United States as it falls into the possession of a bear in the Rockies and sports a 10-gallon hat in Texas. Eventually, it comes to rest in a jar of pennies on a kitchen table. “I try to be the best penny I can,” it says resolutely. It’s the story of an unlikely hero, happy with its somewhat lowly lot and enjoying adventure wherever it’s found. Siegel does a sterling job of conjuring up an emotional life for this ubiquitous coin. Ages 4–8.

October 15, 2016
A penny's rough-and-tumble escapades lead to unexpected ends in Siegel and Bloch's engaging picture book.The protagonist penny's journey begins in Philadelphia, where the United States Mint manufactures most U.S. pennies. "Born" in 1983, Siegel's diminutive protagonist visits different parts of the U.S. spanning Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, "plus Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico," and including a garage floor in Green Bay and a stamp machine in Ohio. Most of the time people just plain overlook this plucky one-cent coin. "I hated being alone and forgotten." After the penny ends up in a jar with other unfortunate coins, it reminisces about the past, when things weren't so expensive. Though Siegel's text often dwells on the neglect and (comically overwrought) abuse inflicted on the penny-protagonist, the author does also appeal to the coin's historical roots, sprinkling in moments of levity and informative goodness. (One marvelous spread even outlines the different metals used to create pennies throughout the years.) Luckily, Bloch's off-kilter, at times almost grotesque, pen-and-Photoshop illustrations provide some much-needed chuckles, featuring various people and animals with contorted faces and wacky scenarios. Still, it's all about the wonders of the penny, and Siegel's protagonist proves an excellent ambassador. "Some folks think pennies are worthless, but I know we are worth a lot." Here's a book sure to convince some readers. Worth every penny. (historical note, selected facts, resources) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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November 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-Ever wondered about the life of a penny? This made-from-copper narrator is happy to share. Told in a breezy tone, from the perspective of a penny, this engaging story is sprinkled with tidbits about the penny's history. For instance, the narrator's great-uncle, from 1943, was made out of steel, "like Superman!" The narrator tries its best to embody the advice of Abraham Lincoln, whose face and memorial appear on the front and back of the coin: "Whatever you are, be a good one." Pen-and-ink cartoon illustrations in combination with photographs of actual pennies capture the humorous tone. The book touches on the controversy of whether to discontinue the penny, though the narrator is understandably biased. Additional material at the end outlines a history of the U.S. monetary system and its ties to the start of the nation. VERDICT A light introduction to money, starring the often underappreciated penny. A worthy addition to lower elementary school collections.-Suzanne Myers Harold, formerly at Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2016
Preschool-G This whimsical look at our smallest unit of money is narrated by the penny itselfone of the more than 250 billion in circulation. Starting with his birth in Philadelphia in 1983, this penny explains that he has crisscrossed the country many timesfrom state to state, city to city, pocket to pockethelping people make change. He recounts being spent, flipped, spun, saved, and sucked up in vacuum cleaners, and remembers bouncing around in laundry machines and languishing on the ground before being snatched up again. The history of the metals used to make pennies is covered, as is the worthiness of pennies in our high-priced world. The information is expanded upon in two pages of back matter. Digitally enhanced line drawings match the lighthearted tone of the brief text, creatively depicting much of the detail covered in the penny's narration. While a nuisance to many adults, for young children, pennies are still the available currency, and this strikes just the right note for that audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)