Slumber Under the Stars

April 15, 2016
Following their introduction in The School Show (2015), Penny and Jelly face another crisis head-on, using their indelible friendship to solve a problem.The girl and her best dog are excited to receive an invitation to a sleepover under the stars at the local recreation center. They get into the spirit of it with a bedroom star show (Sirius is their favorite, of course) and check in with four of Penny's friends, who are all going. But then Jelly uncovers the rest of the invitation--the part that reads "no pets allowed." Jelly's solution is for Penny to make a pretend Jelly to take with her to the sleepover, but no matter the medium--paper, yarn, fleece, marshmallow, vegetable, shaving cream, cotton ball, etc.--the stand-in Jellys just aren't right. Time is running out; dark has fallen. Penny packs, but she just can't do without Jelly. Just then, the perfect solution hits her, and readers will be more than satisfied. Heder's watercolor, pencil, and ink illustrations portray emotion wonderfully, Jelly's every feeling broadcast in tilted head and lifted ears. Penny is also realistic, especially her "working hard" face, and the crafts she makes are believable as the work of a child. It's just too bad readers weren't introduced to the stars the friends are so excited to see. Penny and two of her friends appear to be white; two are darker-skinned.Another winning friendship tale from a lovable duo. (Picture book. 4-8)

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June 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-This is an adorable story about a girl, her dog, and the bond between them. Penny has so much to do when she receives an invitation to a slumber party at the recreation center. She begins to make a list of the items to bring with her-a sleeping bag, pajamas, a pillow, and her dog, Jelly. All is well until she finds out that pets are not allowed. Luckily, Penny is a resourceful little girl. If she can't take the real Jelly with her, then perhaps she can make a pretend one. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as she thinks, and it takes more than one try. Penny finds a variety of materials to create the perfect pretend Jelly. She uses paper, yarn, cotton, vegetables, and even jelly! Although her numerous attempts resemble her dog, Penny starts to realize that none of her creations can ever be as good as the real Jelly. What can she do? How could she have a good time at the slumber party without her best friend? The sweet ending to this book will satisfy children. The soft watercolor and ink illustrations are charming and provide young listeners with excellent visual images. The drawings depict Jelly's interest in, amazement at, and even dislike of some of the prototypes. VERDICT This is a great read-aloud that will generate many opportunities for discussion and is an excellent addition to most collections.-Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2016
Preschool-G Penny is wildly excited about tomorrow's Sleepover under the Stars night at the recreation center, except for one rule: no pets. Knowing that she will miss her dog, Jelly, she tries to make a replica to take with her. First she colors, cuts, and glues together a paper dog. Next, she knits, loops, and braids a yarn dog. Equally disappointing are the Jelly look-alikes she constructs from marshmallows, vegetables, recycled cans, shaving cream, and so on. When Penny sees Jelly sitting among the lifeless models and watching her walk away, the moment is poignant for readers and pivotal for the story. Unwilling to leave without Jelly, Penny invites her friends over for a backyard sleepover with pets. Gianferrari offers a satisfying story in which a child attempts to solve a problem and fails, but then thinks more broadly and succeeds. Artistic kids will particularly enjoy watching Penny at work. Created with watercolors, pencil, and ink, the illustrations are appealing, and the double-page spread showing Jelly investigating 10 hand-crafted models of himself is imaginative and fun. A pleasure for reading aloud.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)