Thursday, July 22, 2010

July: For the Older Sibling, Mary's Penny

http://www.walker.co.uk/walkerdam/getimage.aspx?id=9781406319507-1&size=webuse

I was instantly drawn to this quirky cover of Mary's Penny. Illustrator Richard Holland combines colored pencil and photo collage to create this traditional tale. There's a sense of history and novelty mixed together perfectly!

Author Tanya Landman says, "I've always found this traditional tale deeply satisfying." I had never heard it before, but I was definitely charmed by her retelling. As a father looks to leave his farm to one of his children, he gives each son a penny and charges them "to fill the whole house." Both sons fail, and it is the daughter, Mary, who speaks up, requests a penny, and wins the home. "It takes brains, not brawn, to run a farm."

Enjoy this work with the older sibling of your totz. Let the cleverness of Mary fuel conversations while you enjoy the sparse, fresh, funky art.

Mary's Penny
by Tanya Landman
illustrated by Richard Holland
Candlewick Press, 2010

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