Benny and Penny in Just Pretend

Booklist Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth
Maryland Blue Crab Young Readers Honor Book
Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year
Kirkus Reviews Best of 2009 Continuing Series
Iowa Goldfinch Award

"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."
     --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."
      --Kirkus Reviews

"Appropriate for newly independent readers...The sibling relationship is sweetly and realistically portrayed. A fresh and fun choice for beginning readers--especially those discouraged by text-heavy pages--and for sharing aloud."
      --School Library Journal


"Captures the annoyance children often feel toward their younger siblings, while ensuring the underlying love is present and expressed."
      --Slings and Arrows