Review by Momiji1987 -- Penelope Sherbanne by Susan Uriarte

[Chelsy Scherba]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Penelope Sherbanne" by Susan Uriarte.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Penelope Sherbanné by Susan Uriarte is a fantasy story that teaches children good morals. Penelope is a bratty girl who only says bad things to her parents, teacher, and classmates. She hates healthy food and doesn’t live by the golden rule. One day, her bad behavior results in a punishment. She falls asleep and meets Bella, a beautiful angel who takes her to the land of the Ooloos and the Futurooloos. There, Penelope learns many lessons of importance; such as kindness, respect, and eating healthy.

This was such a cute, imaginative story! The book also comes with its own musical soundtrack to accompany the many songs throughout the story. Unfortunately, my free copy did not include the music, but I enjoyed the book even without the score.

The author did a nice job developing the characters. Penelope and Bella were both interesting subjects that I’m sure kids will relate to. The songs were catchy and stressed the importance of eating “Morplus” a combination of fruits and vegetables that will make you healthy and strong. She contrasted the happy, healthy Ooloos, with the stressed, angry, unhealthy Futurooloos. The Futurooloos only yell at each other and eat fast food and cookies. Their bad behavior invites the scary, giant monster, Angst, into their town to devour them. Can the terrified Futurooloos change their behavior before it’s too late? Will Penelope learn the golden rule? The author answers every question and brings the story to a satisfying conclusion.

As a Christian, I noticed the author used the characters to deliver biblical messages about how to overcome Angst (Satan) through not being afraid and resisting evil. She does make one reference to King Solomon and prayer, but otherwise the book is not heavy on religious theology, nor does she make any direct references to God or Jesus, which makes the book suitable for the non-religious and various faiths.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I loved the inclusion of the songs and smoothie recipes at the end of the book. The story itself was great. I could see it as an animated movie, or even a live-action if it were done right. The story teaches good morals, respect, and a healthy lifestyle, which is also a huge plus. I enjoyed the funny names of the miserable Futurooloos such as Indulgeo and Stressa. There was really nothing to dislike about the book. I think parents, kids and educators will enjoy the story.

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Penelope Sherbanne
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[Laura Lee]

Oh, this sounds like such a fun book! I am always on the look out for good quality children's books. I love how you say that it comes with a soundtrack. How does that work? There's a CD that comes with the bound book? What about a Kindle version? This really sounds like a lot went into this book and I want to check it out. Thanks for sharing a well-written review about an intriguing book I'm sure any young kid would enjoy.