  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 11/01/2016 This whimsical look at our smallest unit of money is narrated by the penny itself—one of the more than 250 billion in circulation. Starting with his birth in Philadelphia in 1983, this penny explains that he has crisscrossed the country many times—from state to state, city to city, pocket to pocket—helping people make change. He recounts being spent, flipped, spun, saved, and sucked up in vacuum cleaners, and remembers bouncing around in laundry machines and languishing on the ground before being snatched up again. The history of the metals used to make pennies is covered, as is the worthiness of pennies in our high-priced world. The information is expanded upon in two pages of back matter. Digitally enhanced line drawings match the lighthearted tone of the brief text, creatively depicting much of the detail covered in the penny’s narration. While a nuisance to many adults, for young children, pennies are still the available currency, and this strikes just the right note for that audience. - Copyright 2016 Booklist. School Library Journal - 11/01/2016 PreS-Gr 2—Ever wondered about the life of a penny? This made-from-copper narrator is happy to share. Told in a breezy tone, from the perspective of a penny, this engaging story is sprinkled with tidbits about the penny's history. For instance, the narrator's great-uncle, from 1943, was made out of steel, "like Superman!" The narrator tries its best to embody the advice of Abraham Lincoln, whose face and memorial appear on the front and back of the coin: "Whatever you are, be a good one." Pen-and-ink cartoon illustrations in combination with photographs of actual pennies capture the humorous tone. The book touches on the controversy of whether to discontinue the penny, though the narrator is understandably biased. Additional material at the end outlines a history of the U.S. monetary system and its ties to the start of the nation. VERDICT A light introduction to money, starring the often underappreciated penny. A worthy addition to lower elementary school collections.—Suzanne Myers Harold, formerly at Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
 |