Benny & Penny in The Big No-No
by Geoffrey Hayes
Toon Books.
This is the second in the Spring 2009 releases from Francoise Mouly’s Toon Books line for younger readers. It’s also the first sequel in the line, following on from Benny and Penny in Just Pretend which I reviewed back here, saying that it was: “yet another delightful little tale from Francoise Mouly’s Toon Books, told with deceptively simple layouts and delicately old-fashioned artwork.”
And it should come as no surprise to find out that I thought exactly the same of this second book, which has all the charm, all the sweet, old-fashioned sentiment of the first.
This time Benny and Penny, older brother and annoying younger sister, go investigating in their mysterious new neighbour’s back garden. Yes, they know it’s a No-No to go there but Benny thinks the neighbour’s taken his sand bucket and he’s going to get it back, No-No or not. So off they go, causing trouble and tears along the way as they discover that the neighbour might not be such a monster after all; in fact she might be a kid like them who just wants to be friends. And Benny’s bucket? Well, like any parent can tell you, it’s amazing how kids can forget where they left even the most important of things.
(The Big No-No; Benny and Penny go adventuring into the neighbours backyard, on a mission to rescue Benny’s bucket.)
Just like the first Benny and Penny adventure this is full of lovely bits of fun between our two quarrelsome siblings, with the arguments ringing true each time between big brother and baby sister. And the clumsy and uncomfortable way that children make friends is played out perfectly between Benny and Penny and their new neighbour. It’s simple, yet a delight, with Hayes’ art firmly in the classic children’s illustration style.
(The monster revealed! From Benny & Penny in The Big No-No.)
The Toon Books library is expanding rapidly into an absolute treasure for any bookcase and will be read and re-read long after your children pass the young age that these books are aimed at. My 9 year old has them all on her shelf and, although she’s far too old for them in terms of her reading ability, she’s never going to be too old for them in terms of their charm and capability to delight. I’ll be looking forward to the next releases from Toon Books, including a September release called Little Mouse Gets Ready by Jeff Smith (Bone, Rasl) that just looks just lovely:
(Good advice for anyone; from Jeff Smith’s Little Mouse, coming in September in Toon Books)
Benny & Penny The Big No-No is released May 5th.
Richard Bruton is still too frightened to get his ball back from his neighbour’s garden
Thu, Apr 30, 2009
Propaganda, Reviews