Penny and Her Marble by Kevin Henkes (review)

In the latest Penny episode (see Penny and Her Song, BCCB 4/12), our mouse heroine contends with a moral dilemma all too familiar among little children. While out walking her doll, Penny finds a lovely blue marble on the lawn of her neighbor, Mrs. Goodwin. She pockets the treasure with only the tiniest twinge of guilt, but as the day wears on, her decision begins to weigh on her. Of course, Penny knows what she should do, and when she returns the marble to where she found it, Mrs. Goodwin is right there to reassure her that she left the marble there on purpose, hoping "someone would walk by and see it." Henkes is a proven master of juvenile angst, and he views the situation with a sharp eye and a compassionate heart. The four-chapter easy-reader format deftly advances the trajectory—Penny's discovery of the marble, her fading joy in its ownership, the seriocomic attack of guilt ("At dinner, Penny did not eat much. The oranges in the bowl looked like big orange marbles. The peas on her plate looked like little green marbles"), and Penny's relief at doing the right thing. Mrs. Goodwin, in her turn, handles the situation perfectly, reassuring Penny that the marble is hers to keep but respectfully allowing her to confess her presumed wrongdoing and relieve her conscience. Watercolor pictures in a pastel palette are sweet but not saccharine, successfully conveying the range of expressions that accompany Penny's day of turmoil and the warmth of Penny's supportive parents, who would definitely be proud of their little girl's integrity, if only they knew.