2012, Juvenile Fiction
WISE Score
Penny has a world-class song stuck in her head, but two sleeping babies and a pair of shushing parents are standing in her way.
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Penny and Her Song is the gold standard for early reader books. It avoids the 'The cat sat on the mat' dryness of most phonics books by injecting real personality and a sweet, low-stakes family conflict.
It is the kind of book that makes a kid feel like a 'real' reader because the story actually goes somewhere. If you have a child who is just beginning to bridge the gap between looking at pictures and following a narrative, this is a must-have for the shelf.
Perfect for preschoolers as a read-aloud and for kindergartners or first graders who are just starting to decode words on their own.
Features a supportive family dynamic where parents are gentle and the child is considerate of her siblings.
Celebrates the internal creative drive and the way a child's imagination can turn a simple day into a performance.
Completely free of any mature themes, violence, or scary elements. It is as safe as children's literature gets.
Excellent for early literacy development and teaching emotional regulation/patience.
Most early reader books are functionally boring because they prioritize simple vocabulary over actual storytelling. Kevin Henkes avoids this trap by focusing on a universal childhood experience: having something incredible to share and being told 'not right now.' Penny isn't just a mouse; she's every kid who has ever vibrated with excitement while a parent pointed at a sleeping sibling.
From a literacy perspective, this book is doing a lot of heavy lifting. If you’re reading this aloud, you’re building the language comprehension strands of the 'Reading Rope'—narrative structure, vocabulary, and syntax. If your kid is the one pointing at the words, they are practicing decoding, the mechanical skill of mapping letters to sounds. This book is particularly good for decoders because Henkes uses rhythmic, predictable language that rewards a kid for sticking with a sentence.
Even though this book came out in 2012, it feels timeless. There are no screens, no pop-culture references, and the art style is soft and inviting. It’s a quiet book in a loud world. The resolution—where the whole family eventually joins in on the song—is a high-payoff moment for a kid who has spent the last 30 pages feeling Penny’s frustration.
If your kid is into the Elephant & Piggie books but wants something a little more 'literary' or cozy, Penny is the right next step. It’s high-quality, emotionally intelligent, and short enough to read three times before bed without losing your mind.
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