  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 09/15/2016 *Starred Review* It’s no secret that comics tend toward hyperbolic action, and perhaps in an effort to match the pandemonium of most cartoons, this is especially true when appealing to younger readers. Hayes’ achievement is, then, all the more remarkable. Through six Benny and Penny books, he has explored the emotional landmarks of young children’s lives with subtlety, nuance, and gentle insight, with scarcely a “zap” or “pow” to be found. In this case, the brother-and-sister mice stumble on the mortal remains of Red the salamander and must learn to say good-bye for the first time. Penny and her friend, Melina, set out to honor the salamander with a funeral, but Benny, harboring guilt over how he sometimes treated Red, refuses to take part. Hayes’ grasp of children’s inner lives is deep and lovely, granting them not only the complexity to experience resounding sorrow and guilt but also the tools to overcome, with a little help and understanding, these difficult feelings. Hayes’ meticulously delineated figures exude a nearly tactile softness and warmth, and his generously detailed panels are fluidly and imaginatively laid out so that, even without the bombastic action, readers will engage at every step. An exemplary installment in an already successful series. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. Loading...
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