What Are You Doing, Benny?

by Cary Fagan, Kady MacDonald Denton (Illustrator)

Overview

From New York Times-bestselling illustrator Kady MacDonald Denton and award-winning author Cary Fagan comes a charming sibling story that has the makings of a contemporary classic.

Benny's little brother is really good at a lot of things -- making potions and paper airplanes, building forts, putting on puppet shows, even petting the neighbor's cat (he has a special way of scratching her just behind the ears). But whenever he tries to join in Benny's activities, all Benny ever says is "No." Maybe his little brother can watch him do cool stuff, if he's lucky. What is a little fox to do, except give Benny a taste of his own medicine? Totally familiar yet fresh and original, tenderly told and consistently funny, this story perfectly captures the joys (and annoyances!) of sibling relationships.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770498594
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	04/23/2019
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	47 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

CARY FAGAN is an award-winning author for children and adults. His kids' books include Mort Ziff Is Not Dead, the Kaspar Snit novels, the two-volume Master Melville's Medicine Show, Jacob Two-Two on the High Seas and the picture books Little Blue Chair and Mr. Zinger's Hat, winner of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and the IODE Jean Throop Award. He has also won the Jewish Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, and has been shortlisted for the Silver Birch Award (five times), the Rocky Mountain Book Award (twice), the Hackmatack Award (twice), the Norma Fleck Award, the Shining Willow Award and others. Cary lives in Toronto with his family.

KADY MACDONALD DENTON is an award-winning and New York Times-bestselling illustrator. In 1998 she was awarded the Governor General's Award for A Child's Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Her books have also won the 2008 Christie Harris Illustrated Children's Literature Prize, the 2006 Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Award and are regularly featured on the Junior Library Guild Selection and the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens list. Her illustrations for Bonny Becker's A Visitor for Bear and its sequels are instnatly recognizable around the world.

Editorial Reviews

05/13/2019

This amusing tale of two young foxes by Fagan (Little Blue Chair) captures the ups and downs of sibling relationships. Benny’s little brother wants to join in on the fun as Benny paints in the treetops, rides his bike, and scratches a cat, but each time he shows enthusiasm (“I’m terrific at making potions”), Benny responds with a cool “No.” This doesn’t stop the younger sibling from pestering, nor Benny from dismissing him, even if Benny does continually stop by the younger’s burrow room to check in. Finally, fed up with the constant rejections, including Benny’s refusal to make him a splendid-looking sandwich, the younger fox decides to set up his own puppet show, starring a frog-and-crocodile duo playing out a situation similar to his own (“No, no, no!” says the haughty croc). When Benny re-enters the room with his own requests, it becomes clear that turnabout is fair play—at least until a peace-brokering sandwich appears. Earth-toned ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations by Denton (A Visitor for Bear) convey sibling dynamics with aplomb, lending a certain timelessness to this relationship. Ages 3-7. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

One of CCBC's Best Books for Kids & Teens 2019

PRAISE FOR What Are You Doing, Benny?:

“Relating the tale in the first person by the younger fox in child-friendly dialogue and with delightfully imaginative imagery, Fagan treats the sibling relationship with humor and kindness, leading to a win-win outcome. . . . A lovely, gentle exercise in getting along.” —Kirkus Reviews

"Children who are part of a sibling group will identify with these characters making this title a popular addition to a personal, public or school library." —Resource Links

“This is an excellent and realistic portrayal of the balance and kindness of sibling relationships.” —School Library Journal

“Offer[s] concrete solutions by encouraging kids to test their assumptions, employ communication instead of negative self-talk, or, when all else fails, go it alone and make your own fun.” —Quill & Quire

From the Publisher

04/01/2019

PreS-Gr 1—A sweet story about how it's much more fun to do anything when you're deliberately not allowing a younger sibling to join. Benny is busy, but his little brother is desperately and inexpertly trying to convince Benny to let him join in. Each entreaty, no matter how convincing, is met with a resounding no. Mostly what Benny wants is to be followed around by his adoring little brother so that he can continue to say no. But even little brothers have their limits, and when Benny's little brother's patience is finally exhausted, it is up to Benny to make amends and, finally, maybe, say yes. Watercolor and gouache illustrations create a delicate and detailed background for the two fox brothers. The story is told in the first person, and the small black text grows in size as Benny's little brother becomes more and more frustrated. The expertly drawn facial expressions depict Benny's smug contrariness and his little brother's sad downcast eyes. Pages are often divided into small quarter panels to highlight the little brother's quick, excited questions and give perfect comedic timing to the inevitable "no." This is an excellent and realistic portrayal of the balance and kindness of sibling relationships. VERDICT Hand this to fans of Lauren Child's "Charlie and Lola" books.—Laken Hottle, Providence Community LibraryI

School Library Journal

2018-12-16

A young fox cub just wants to play with big brother Benny.

Benny builds a fort, makes a paper airplane and a sandwich, rides a bike, plays guitar, and more. His unnamed younger sib enthusiastically promotes the many ways in which they could enhance these activities—but, alas, to no avail. Benny's answer is always a resounding, "No." Benny seems to know the effect his rejections have on his sibling, signaling this awareness with a subtle, sly look of satisfaction. When the little cub withdraws from the action, Benny comes and tells the younger fox he is going out, fully expecting his sib to follow, which the cub does, only to face further rejection. Finally the cub decides to put on a puppet show alone, engaging in mimicry of those interactions. And the next time Benny invites the cub, it's the younger child's turn to say, "No, thanks." Surprised, Benny brings a sandwich as a peace offering, and they play with the puppets together. Relating the tale in the first person by the younger fox in child-friendly dialogue and with delightfully imaginative imagery, Fagan treats the sibling relationship with humor and kindness, leading to a win-win outcome. Placed in a series of individual boxes, along with single- and double-page spreads, Denton's softly hued ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations present a well-to-do fox burrow and a plethora of details that make each incident and emotion fully realized.

A lovely, gentle exercise in getting along. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews