Penny and the Punctuation Bee

Plot Summary

Elsie, an exclamation point, announces loudly that she’s sure she’ll win the school Punctuation Bee. After all, an exclamation point has won the last three years. But Penny, a period, and her friend, Quentin, a question mark, decide to practice and practice. More than anything, Penny wants to beat Elsie, who brags way too much!

The bee begins and one by one, the punctuation marks drop out. Finally, as the loudspeaker announces the end of the school day, only Quentin, Penny, and Elsie remain. It looks like a three-way tie. Then Quentin asks an important question that saves the day—for Penny!

Moira Donohue, author of Alfie the Apostrophe, again makes punctuation fun in this up-close look at the important mark that stops everything—the period. Jenny Law’s lively illustrations add just the right touch.

Reviews

"Donohue follows up Alfie the Apostrophe (2006), illustrared by JoAnn Adinolfi, with another parade of animate punctuation—featuring this time a Period, a Question Mark and an obnoxious Exclamation Point! Round Penny and her slouching friend Quentin vow to beat bouncy Elsie by creating more sentences correctly in their school’s upcoming bee...Wielding broad brushes filled with what looks like poster paint, Law fashions a bright world populated by colorful, easily recognizable punctuation of all sorts. Will young readers enjoy this Period of learning? You bet! For children (or, for that matter, parents) who are still hazy on the uses of the three marks, the author discusses types of sentences in an explanatory afterword." Kirkus Reviews

"Full of laugh-out-loud double ententres...this book can be enjoyed by children and adults alike, a definite plus for parents and teachers who will probably be asked to read it over and over."
Children's Literature

"Visually exciting with simple and colorful illustrations, this book will reinforce punctuation and language arts skills."
Library Media Connection

Associated Keywords
period, comma, exclamation, point, grammar, punctuate, english, learning, curriculum