Lady Miss Penny Goes to Lunch

May 1, 2020
A golden-brown dog named Lady Miss Penny narrates this story about proper behavior when eating out in a restaurant. Penny lives in a city with her owner, a girl the dog calls Milady, and the pair enjoy pleasant dining experiences at a variety of restaurants. Penny's group of friends includes two other dogs, a rabbit, and a pigeon, and these friends join Penny and Milady at a white-tablecloth restaurant for a special meal. Penny describes how to behave through a numbered list of rules with related explanations. Each rule is illustrated with the group of animals either following the recommendation or behaving in opposite fashion, like running between tables or barking and meowing while chewing. At the end of the meal the group prances out the door, leaving the restaurant a mess, with the table overturned and food everywhere. The animals, however, did follow the final rule: "Do have a good time!" The tongue-in-cheek humor is mildly humorous but its use as an etiquette guide falls rather flat as the misbehavior looks far more enjoyable than the prescriptions for proper behavior. Charming watercolor illustrations elevate the whole, with appealing animals and a likable Milady. She has brown skin and a dark brown ponytail; other guests in the restaurant include people of color. Amusing animal antics but not really useful for young human restaurant guests. (Picture book. 3-6)

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July 1, 2020

K-Gr 2-Lady Miss Penny, a fluffy-tailed canine with impeccable manners, visits all kinds of restaurants accompanied by her human girl Milady, and she is always on her best behavior. Even when she invites four of her animal friends to a nice restaurant, she watches her table manners. Her general admonishments apply to most of us, and readers will want to absorb the rules for eating out with friends, to walk inside, stay in your seat, and use the magic words, please and thank you. Less human rules will have readers giggling: don't lick food off the floor, no barking, etc. VERDICT A humorous look at good manners, this suggested general purchase provides cartoon art with pen and watercolor that captures expressions and the consequences of outrageous behavior from several perspectives during a chaotic restaurant visit.-Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano I.S.D., TX

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