Penny and Clover, Up and Over

by Erica S. Perl, Leire Martin (Illustrations)

Learning to read doesn't need to be ruff with this rhyming tail about a pair of lovable pups!

Penny is a small, frisky puppy. Clover is a big, careful canine. While Penny has no problem jumping over a log, Clover isn't so sure she can do it. Can Clover come up with the courage to take a leap of faith and follow her friend?

Genres: Fiction, Animals, Friendship

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 2, 2025

About the author

Erica S. Perl is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 40 popular and critically acclaimed books for young readers. She won the National Jewish Book Award and a Sydney Taylor Silver Medal for her middle grade novel, ALL THREE STOOGES. She is also the author of many well-loved picture books, including THE NINTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH and GOATILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS, as well as several book serieses (including the TRUTH OR LIE nonfiction series). She is the co-author, with Dolly Parton, of the BILLY THE KID picture book series. She is also the co-author, with R.J. Palacio, of WHITE BIRD: A NOVEL. A crowd-pleasing presenter, Erica is available for school visits, bookstore, and library events. Follow her @ericaperl on social media and visit her website to connect with her.

Reviews

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Level 1 titles really are perfect for emergent readers, with about 25 simple words per book, lots of repetition, and appealing illustrations which clue the reader along. A brown skinned child and older adult (grandma, maybe), along with a small dog named Penny and a large dog named Clover are featured in both books. In Up and Over the child asks the dogs to follow him as he jumps over a log. Penny manages it easily, and Clover must be cajoled. That’s it, but it works, as readers will be able to predict that Clover will eventually make it over the log. In Follow That Ball! the child is bouncing a ball with the dogs, and it goes missing. Looking low and high, here and there, they eventually find the ball in the tree, and discover a small cat as well. Cute, easy, and with sweet digital art, this should be a satisfying read for kids just working out how to sound out words.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny and Clover are walking through the woods with the boy and his grandma, when they see a large log in the path. Penny is excited and jumps right over, but Clover . . . Grandma can't convince Clover, she tries to walk around or dig under, the boy even gives Clover a push, finally with everyone cheering, a treat in hand and Penny demonstrating, Clover jumps the log!

Wow. I do love this series so much. My granddaughter loves the story, and feels so confident with her reading. The illustrations are adorable, and the plot is simple. I loved the repeated words, the pictures give great context and the story is predictable. Perfect for the beginning reader

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to a charming tale of friendship, with opposites who attract and also a generous helping of rhymes.

* Meet Penny, a small puppy who likes to go-go-go.
* Meet Clover, a big dog who might more aptly been named "Rocky." (As in "a very careful, deliberate kind of rock.")

The story of their friendship is easy to read and easy to like, especially if you're a toddler.

FIVE STARS, in honor of the patience... as small things, like stepping over a long, seem like a very big deal.

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suuuuuuper simple sentence structure and repetitive language make this a good pick for emerging readers.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clover has a hard time jumping over a log.

[Ella Zig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Penny and Clover have an adventure and choices.

If you are looking for a book to help your youths with sight words,
this is a good book for support.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This addition to the Lucky Dogs series follows Penny and Clover as they go through a walk in the woods with their owners. Penny jumps right over the log while Clover needs quite a bit of help to go over the log. This emergent reader uses simple vocabulary and word repetition to tell the simple story. This would be a good addition to a beginning reader section of the library collection