If you are my young daughter, not so much.
In her world, playing the name game is a piece of cake because what you see is typically what you get.
Case in point: Her stuffed dinosaur’s name is Dino; her fuzzy black lab = Blackie; her plastic fish-shaped bath toy, Fishy; and her life-sized plush monkey, you guessed it–Monks.
Of course, not all kids are able to slap a moniker on a prized possession as quickly and easily as my kid does.
In fact, for some children, the task of naming a beloved toy is serious business.
Just ask Penny the mouse.
When her grandma sends her a new doll in the mail, life becomes a little tougher for the fragile field mouse. Penny desperately wants to find the perfect name for her cute and cuddly plaything, but like many parents, the new mouse mommy struggles with her options.
The doll had pink cheeks.
The doll had a pink bow.
The doll had a pink dress with big buttons.
Uninspired by her doll’s physical characteristics, Penny turns to her parents for help.
“Try not to think too hard,” said Mama.
“Then maybe a name will come to you,” said Papa.
Mama and Papa offer some suggestions: Dolly, Pinky, Smiley, Buttons, Lovey…
No.
No.
No.
No.
And no.
Penny’s challenge of finding just the right name for her new doll continues for three easy-to-read chapters. Along the way, young readers are treated to colorful and detailed illustrations of the mouse family’s sweet digs… inside and out.
I won’t give away the surprise ending, but the word “out” is a major clue in solving the suspenseful mystery that is Penny and Her Doll.
You’ll love the way author Kevin Henkes gently guides his young fans on this magical naming journey. His approach is simple, yet systematic, and if your child is anything like my daughter, she will be screaming out guesses each time she turns one the book’s 32 pages.
To find out what Penny ultimately names her new BFF, head over to HarperCollins’s website or pick up a copy of Penny and Her Doll at book stores nationwide.
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