Penny: The Forgotten Coin

by Denise Brennan-Nelson, Michael Glenn Monroe (Illustrator)

Found by a young boy and placed into his pocket for safekeeping, Penny feels useless compared to the exciting Superball, the shiny Marble, the adventuresome Rock, and the colorful Bubblegum. But as she reminisces about her life and history, she realizes her worth, and it is reinforced by the young boy's need for her in an important decision. Denise Brennan-Nelson's boundless energy and enthusiasm comes from her days as a motivational speaker. Since the publication of her first book, Buzzy the Bumblebee in 1999, Denise has taken that enthusiasm into schools and inspired thousands of children to "bee-lieve" in themselves. Her second title, My Momma Likes to Say, shares her interest in and knowledge of clichés, idioms, and funny expressions used by adults and often misunderstood by the children who hear them. Award-winning wildlife artist Michael Glenn Monroe is also known for his charming character illustrations in such titles as Buzzy the Bumblebee, A Wish to be a Christmas Tree (read aloud on the Today Show in 2002 by Katie Couric), and The Christmas Humbugs. He brings this lively brand of illustration to the adventures of Penny.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mathematics, History

32 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2003

Reviews

[Anomaly · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars, Rounded Up

On the surface, this is a story about a penny's journey through life - from a piggy bank to a penny dish to a Red Cross donation to the ground where a boy picks her up. The other items in the boy's pocket taunt her for being useless, but she cheers herself up by remembering all the valuable things she can do (most of them charitable, since pennies have unfortunately little capitalistic value these days). Thus, this is a story about self-worth and how everyone's role in the universe is important.

Beneath the surface, this is an educational book with somewhat densely-packed writing explaining the history and other such trivia of pennies. It also has a touch of editorialism with regards to whether pennies should be discontinued, but doesn't dwell on that.

I thought it was a fairly cute story and I learned a couple things I didn't already know from school. Not sure how much kids would like it, though.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

there is an extreme amount of text (font) and u can not read it ... no way to make it larger??! it doesn't please me to rate this so low. but let me explain. i read it through KU and the book does not take up but a bit of the kindle ... like the middle of the screen and you can hardly see the illustrations. the illustrations are beyond awesome. i mean so super way cool but u can not see the details close up. so sad. sad face. i mean this author/illustrator is a genius for sure ... but not happy by the size of the book. make sense?

[Gabriella Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talked about a penny who was bullied and forgot their purpose but quickly remembered. Throughout the book, at the bottom are fun facts and activities about the penny and its history. The book does not have a very deep or unique story line.

[Misbah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a good sized coin collection with a few decent pennies. I didn't know there were so many interesting facts about this little coin. It definitely a great book for kids to gain appreciation of even the small things like a penny.

[Carly Pipkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a penny who has forgotten her worth because pennies are not used as much anymore. This book shares many facts about Pennies and it teaches kids that even if they aren’t like other, they are still treasures of their own.

[Hsu Chao · Rating 5 out of 5]

the entangle you get for learning to barter at the bazaar. things you collect during explore mtg exploration mtg.

[Cassidy Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penny: The Forgotten Coin follows the story of, you guessed it, a Penny named Penny. In this book, we start with the penny being found and put into a pocket, the other objects say that Penny is worthless, but she knows where she's been in the history of our country. Then we delve into the history of the penny, from its initial creation and its uses, to its significance to our history. Very interesting read!! Best suited for 3-6.

[Eileen Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is more than just about a penny. Though there are incredible facts about pennies. This story teaches children that just because you aren't the newest item, shiniest one in the pocket doesn't mean you don't have value and worth. This story can be used to help children learn the important lesson of never underestimating your worth in this world.

[Rebecca Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book to read when students are learning about cents. The teacher can begin the lesson by giving each student a penny and letting them examine it. Ask them what they see and feel. Then the teacher can read the book which includes facts about the penny.

[Mercedes Case]

Brief review: This book is a nonfiction childrens book. It is intended for use with ages 6- 9. I really like how the author uses a story to show the history of the penny. One thing that I would do while reading this outloud to children is I would only read a few of the facts that are located on the bottom of the page. This is because there is a lot of information in this and it might be to much to give out at once and to have the students understand.

Content area: The content area I would use this in is science. Because throughout the story they talk about how pennies have been used and worn down through all the years of handling. In the back of the book it has a science expirement that shows you how you can restore pennies back to their original quality. You could also use this in history by talking about how before you could buy things with a penny and how the economy changed that.

2 questions:
1. How did the penny feel in the beginning? Explain how you know.
a. The penny felt sad and unneeded you can tell this because he hid down in the crook of the pocket.
2. How did the penny make himself feel better? Use details from the story to support your answer.
a. The penny thought of happy times when he was needed such as when you could buy candy for a penny.

2 wonders:
Why can't you buy things with a penny anymore?
Why do people not save pennies?