#NetGalley #WhatAreYouDoingBenny
Pre-Order Now: Available April 23, 2019
Benny, the fox, is busy playing by himself: building a fort, making a paper airplane, riding his bike, etc. But his little brother is looking for a playmate, so he continually asks to join his older brother. But each question to his brother is met with an emphatic, NO! He doesn’t want to talk about what he’s doing or let his younger brother join him.
Finally, after asking and asking, the little fox gets the picture and heads to his room to put on a puppet show, by himself. Of course, the puppets are mimicking he and his brother. Can I play? No! Can I watch? No!
Eventually, Benny shows up and asks if his younger sibling wants to watch him paint a model car. By now little fox is fine by himself and isn’t interested in watching his brother.
Surprisingly Benny returns with a sandwich for his younger brother. He then stays and begins playing with the puppets.
My Thoughts
What Concerned Me: I realize kids like things to be repetitive, but the younger sibling asking to engage with Benny seemed to go on a bit too long. Also, I’m not clear what changed Benny’s mind. Was he suddenly aware that he’d ignored little fox, or was he missing the pestering and attention?
What I Liked Most: Sibling awareness is always a good discussion topic. Also, some children will love the fact that the illustrations feel more like a graphic novel.
Author: Cary Fagan
Illustrator: Kady MacDonald Denton
Publisher:Â Tundra Books (April 23, 2019)
