Book Review: Penelope Causes AN UPROAR (chapter book)(OT)

Penelope Causes AN UPROAR, by Pauli Libsohn (Page Publishing. 2021, 66 pp, $22.95 hardcopy)

Large-Sized Chapter Book (8 1/2 by 11) About a Little Girl

Penelope is a little girl who loves bubble baths, pajamas with feet (and a zipper and a snap) and bedtime stories. She has lots of little girl friends and a big imagination. Even some of her words are big - they are made of big letters LIKE THIS. Penelope is a leader who causes quite an uproar in her neighborhood.

Prolific Author

Pauli Rose Libsohn, author of 8 children's books about Penelope* plus a slew of others totaling 13, including a Julie book (see the next review), has written a long but exciting and spell-binding book about leadership, acting and loving going to bed at night. She calls a meeting of her friends and their parents and they all go out shopping for bubble bath, pajamas with feet and books of bedtime stories, JUST LIKE PENELOPE'S.

A Big Secret and a Big Uproar

Penelope has a big secret that your youngsters will read about plus they will visit The Magic Circle Bookshoppe with Miss Kirkle, the Bath TO Shower store with Mrs. Twizzle, and Jammies and Such with Miss Winnie.

But the Most Fun

Little girl readers will notice that the girls in the book are dressed like their moms in matching colored polka dot dresses. There is a lot more to notice in the illustrations, some of which span two pages.

A Chapter Book?

Yes, this is a chapter book but it would also make a much more wonderful much shorter book that can be read in one sitting right before bedtime. It is a book about a short day, a brief moment in time, but takes many pages to tell, more than can be read in one sitting, with dense print not often found in a first chapter book about little girls (older girls, yes). It is a dichotomy of a chapter book: a story for 6 year-olds but too many pages for that age. 

Unique

Author Libsohn has perfected the unique style of putting many words on a page in all capital letters. At first notice, the reader likes the emphasis but it soon ceases to pique one's interest as to why this word is 'capped' and not that one. Wondering can be exhausting.

*my favorite will probably be the one about her half-birthday, something I have celebrated all my life. It is a good excuse to give another birthday present when you forget the real birthday!