Denny and Penny, by Silas Wood, is a rhyming picture book about two foxes, which starts by differentiating between them. “Penny is a delicate fox who enjoys going on long walks.” Penny has large innocent eyes, and in one picture, she closes her eyes and flashes her toothy smile as she strolls. “Denny is a fox who’s in charge, enjoys life, and loves living large.” The pictures show the irony of Denny’s character. One has him wearing a brown scarf and taking on a semi-hard expression. Another has him with a softer face and playing with a ladybug.
The plot begins when Denny has no food, so he goes to Penny. He likes cookies, cake, shakes, and other junk food. Thought bubbles contain brightly colored goodies and hover over Denny, who lowers his brows and slightly smiles in a smug expression. However, Penny prefers cleaner foods and fancy edibles like crème soufflé. As she thinks of crème soufflé and pomme purée, tiny red hearts pop around her head.
She insists Denny try her food and promises there’ll be cherry pie afterward. Denny loves the meal; it gives “his taste buds a thrill!” As you keep reading, his dish empties further. He doesn’t want Penny to know he loved it, having the kind of pride where folks refuse to admit they were wrong. He tells her the food’s so-so, using words like “It didn’t stink” and “At least it was edible and mostly digestible.”
After he asks if he can have pie, Penny scolds him for his ungratefulness. Refusing to lower his pride, Denny keeps up with his pretense, so she asks him to leave, for “she needed a welcomed reprieve.” He later returns, “head hung low to repent of his crime.” The book doesn’t show how he comes to this point, and I assume it’s because he wants to stay friends with Penny, though it would be nice if we observe how he sees the error of his ways. Nevertheless, they reconcile, and Penny shares her cherry pie.
The illustrations don’t have scenery, focusing on the characters. Their bodies shift in a way where if you have the e-book and swipe the pages, it almost progresses like an animated movie. Even though young readers may need help with understanding the big words, like “repent,” “reprieve,” “leek,” and “digestible,” this book is great for 4 to 8-year-olds.
