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$12.95 Hardcover
TOON LEVEL: 2
INTEREST LEVEL: Age 4+ READING LEVEL: Grades 1-2 LEXILE LEVEL: 310 GUIDED READING LEVEL: K AUTHOR: Geoffrey Hayes LANGUAGE: English PAGES: 40 DIMENSIONS: 6" x 9" SERIES: Benny and Penny RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2016 ISBN: 978-1-935179-99-3 |
About the BookWhy won’t Benny care? Penny finds a dead salamander, but her brother Benny doesn’t want anything to do with it. Is it silly to have a ceremony for Little Red, or could the loss of this tiny animal mean much more to the lovable siblings? With his unique knack for portraying children’s emotional turmoil, Geisel Award-winner Geoffrey Hayes shares this gentle tale of an early encounter with death.
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Reviews★★★ "With humor, directness, and unfailing honesty, Hayes’s sensitive cartooning and sharp dialogue play up the big emotions of these little mice."
--Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW ★★★ "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—with a little help and understanding—to overcome 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." --Booklist STARRED REVIEW ★★★ "A simple narrative make this ideal for budding young readers. VERDICT: A wonderful and sensitively handled offering; purchase where the series is popular or where titles on death are needed." --School Library Journal STARRED REVIEW "Death is an odd subject for a comic for young children, but Hayes handles it well. For newly independent readers, this is an alternative to—not a replacement for—Brown's classic. Another sweet, empathetic day with Benny and Penny." --Kirkus Reviews "In only 20-some pages, Hayes manages to move his characters realistically through denial, disgust, resistance, friendship, problem-solving, and navigating the ceremonies of mourning." --Comics Worth Reading "A sensitive look at dealing with strong feelings in the wake of loss. An important addition to graphic novel collections and readers advisory lists." --Mom Read It "Following in the tradition of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers, Hayes does not shy away from dealing with direct facts or feelings, things that often become overlooked when talking with children about death." --Musing Librarian Reviews |
Teacher's Guide: Dealing with LossWith tenderness and sensitivity, the teacher's guide for Benny and Penny in How to Say Goodbye focuses on promoting empathy and dealing with loss. Visit our Common Core Guides page for more free guides created by passionate literacy experts.
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Geoffrey Hayes discusses the making of How to Say Goodbye
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What inspired you to write “How to Say Good-bye?”
I never thought I’d write a book about death. At the same time I was considering a new Benny and Penny story a friend was in the hospital with terminal cancer, which of course brought up a lot of emotion, and I had the idea the of combining the two. I know Benny and Penny’s personalities so well by now, I knew exactly how they would react given the circumstances. I wrote the initial draft in an hour!! A record for me. What did you want to teach children about death? Well, I never start with a specific “message.” I prefer to simply tell the story and let the message evolve. I knew the story would be moving, but also contain a fair amount of humor. I like the importance of ceremony in our lives, and the book ended up being about showing respect for a loved one while allowing room to express deep emotions. |
Why a salamander, rather than a family member?
The Benny and Penny books all take place in approximately fifteen to twenty minutes of “real” time. Francoise had the idea early on to not show their mother, to have Benny and Penny confront their issues head on, and just allude to the fact that Mother is near by. So, I needed to keep it simple. The passing of, say their grandmother, would have required too much back story. You started out writing picture books and readers, but in the last few years you seem to be concentrating on comics. Comics, have always been my first love and is a term I prefer to Graphic Novels. A Graphic Novel is a long work with a grander scope. To call a Benny and Penny book a “novel” seems pretentious. Now that visual storytelling is accepted as a viable platform for children, I’m thrilled that I can work in the form I love best. |
Why are comics so well suited to teaching kids to read?
There is something so immediate and personal about them. Kids are captivated by the pictures to such a degree that they will stick around to find out what the characters are saying. My stories have always been character-driven, as opposed to concept-driven, and this format allows me to tell my story through dialogue and personalities, as well as action. I believe this is what children respond to.
There is something so immediate and personal about them. Kids are captivated by the pictures to such a degree that they will stick around to find out what the characters are saying. My stories have always been character-driven, as opposed to concept-driven, and this format allows me to tell my story through dialogue and personalities, as well as action. I believe this is what children respond to.
For more Benny and Penny.. |
Praise for the Benny and Penny series |
"Through six Benny and Penny books, [Hayes] has explored the emotional landmarks of young children’s lives with subtlety, nuance and gentle insight."
--Booklist "A perfect example of a graphic novel designed just for young readers." --ALA's Library Service to Children "Hayes takes the opportunity to explore preschoolers' mercurial emotions [...] These sweet sibs show no signs of growing old--thank goodness." --Kirkus Reviews "This early reader comic is not only deeply meaningful for children, but also for adults." --Diamond Bookshelf - Click for Lesson Plan Too! |
About the Author
Bestselling author Geoffrey Hayes has written and illustrated over forty children's books, including the extremely popular series of early readers Otto and Uncle Tooth, the classic Bear by Himself, the Patrick Bear books, and When the Wind Blew by Caldecott Medal-winning author Margaret Wise Brown.
His TOON Book series of Benny and Penny books has garnered multiple awards. In 2009, Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! received the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award given by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English. |