Series:

I Can Read Book 1

Back cover copy:

One day Penny finds a marble. It's pretty and blue, and she loves it right away. So Penny takes the marble home. But does the marble really belong to Penny?

Main description:

In the third easy-to-read book about Penny the mouse, written by Caldecott Medalist and bestselling author Kevin Henkes, Penny finds a beautiful marble on her neighbor's lawn and must decide whether or not to keep it. With age-appropriate vocabulary, compelling characters, and a memorable storyline, this is just right for newly independent readers.

Kevin Henkes is known for his mouse characters, including Lilly, Owen, Chrysanthemum, Wemberly, and now Penny! In Penny and her Marble, the third book in the Penny series, Penny finds a marble on Mrs. Goodwin's yard and takes it home. But does the marble really belong to Penny? Kevin Henkes is a master at creating beautifully illustrated books that resonate with young children. The Penny books are new classics for beginning readers and will appeal to fans of Frog and Toad, Little Bear, and Henry and Mudge.

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“Carefully sequenced panels, expressive lines and gentle pastels lead the reader to the story’s joyous resolution.”

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“Henkes continues to plumb the emotional world of childhood as few author/illustrators can. . . . Another gem.”

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“Henkes conveys shades of emotions that are common to human experience, yet hard to express in words. It’s particularly impressive that he can do so in a book for beginning readers. . . . This small-scale, yet immensely satisfying drama is a fine addition to the Penny series.”

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“Henkes ups the emotional stakes in his third book starring Penny.”

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“Impeccable. . . . Respect for the beginning reader’s emerging skills beautifully matches Henkes’s respect for Penny .”

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“Much as he did in Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Henkes presents an irrepressible heroine who struggles to compromise.”

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“Perfect for beginning readers. A treasure.”

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“Splendid . . . Henkes so completely understands the minds of small children. . . . His vivacious panels always seem to burst with springtime. It’s hard to imagine anything ever going too wrong in one of his sensitive, generous portrayals. Everything here ends just right.”

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“The text . . . is perfect for new readers, and Henkes’s familiar artwork has its share of warm moments. This early reader captures the way families make memories at unexpected moments. Welcome Penny to the cast.”

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Praise for Penny and Her Song:“Henkes strikes all the right notes. . . . Language, art, characterization, and plot are all executed, like Penny’s song, beautifully.”