Review of Penelope Sherbanne

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Jessica Brann
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Review of Penelope Sherbanne

Post by Jessica Brann »

[Following is a volunteer review of "Penelope Sherbanne" by Susan Uriarte.]
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2 out of 4 stars
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Penelope Sherbanné is a disrespectful little girl who refuses to eat her fruits and vegetables and doesn't listen when her parents and teachers tell her about the Golden Rule, treating others how you want to be treated. When Penelope's bad behaviour gets her into trouble once more, she is taken on an adventure that will change her forever.

In Penelope Sherbanné: The Morplus and The Message, Susan Uriarte shows children the importance of kindness, having good morals, and eating healthy. Through songs and easy to read writing, Uriarte makes a compelling case, providing young readers with important lessons they will carry through to their own lives.

While the lessons were important, the book was often very repetitive, especially the song lyrics, and there were often pages at a time that repeated themselves. Songs can be effective in helping children learn something new in a fun way, but the lyrics were much longer than necessary. The writing was simple and allowed for vivid and beautiful imagery, and while the representation of obesity may be harmful to some readers, overall, the story was easy to follow.

I found the first half of the book to be extremely forced, almost making it feel like a book written for parents, showing them what to teach their children. The promotion of healthy eating was obsessive, and while important, often left me feeling disconnected from the story. The second half of the book was more focused on the plot and implementing the lessons that had been learned, making it much more enjoyable to read.

The book allowed children to see the impact that kindness and being healthy can have on people and provide young with a relatable character they can learn from. This book addressed the reasons why some children try and avoid fruits and vegetables and actively works to help children work through those problems.

At times, the book seemed to forget about one of the lessons, having good morals and bringing it back up randomly. This made it seem forced and didn't allow for proper understanding as to what morals are and why children should aim to have good morals.

I believe this book to be professionally edited as I only found a few mistakes. Overall, this book is best suited for children, and I would rate it 2 out of 4 stars due to the way the messages of this book were excessive. As a whole, the book was a nice read, and I believe it accomplished what it set out to do, promote healthy eating and being a kind person who cares for others.

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Penelope Sherbanne
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