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Oh, the Places You've Been
Oh, the Places You've Been is a delightful picture book following the life of a small penny. From city sidewalks to snowy mountaintops, fields full of fireflies and all the way to the Moon, a young girl learns this little coin has traveled far and wide to end up in her pocket. But how can something so small have traveled so far? This playful rhyming tribute to Dr. Seuss explores how even small, long-forgotten things have amazing stories to tell.
Where has your penny been?
Where has your penny been?
- GenresChildrens
38 pages, Hardcover
Published February 4, 2020
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 13, 2020
What I Loved:
The Illustration in Oh, the Places You’ve Been is beautiful. With a feel of watercolor at times, they are soft and colorful. Each page depicts a location where the penny in the story has been and my daughter really enjoyed looking at the details on each page.
A really fun addition to the pages is that each period in the sentences is actually a little penny! One of our favorite pages is where the penny is on a hillside and can hear the waves crashing on the shore. Everything is bathed in a blue glow of the moonlight and there are two bears at the waters edge. That page had my daughter stopping to really discuss all the animals and people that penny has been near.
How I Felt:
The Story: This book was wonderful! The story is such a great idea. Most pennies would have quite the story to tell if they could talk and I love the idea of this one telling its story to little Harper. My daughter was able to follow along in the story and I feel it works well for a preschool to middle elementary child.
"There’s advice to be learned from the tales I’ve told.
Even pennies long forgotten have adventures to behold.” OH, THE PLACES YOU’VE BEEN BY BEN EVERARD WITH MARY EVERARD
The Writing: This story is told through rhyme. The cadence was nice and the words flowed easily as I was reading. Some pages have just four lines, while others have a bit more. It was just long enough that my little reader had enough time to look at the photos and listen to the words without losing interest. It’s one that I would love to read again and again!
To Read or Not To Read:
Oh, the Places You’ve Been is an excellent book for any young reader. This would be a great addition to any home library. It would also make a great addition to preschool and elementary school stacks!
What's This Book About Anyway?
Little Harper Glen finds a penny on the sidewalk. This penny has so much to say! The penny tells Harper its story, all the places it has been to, the struggles and excitement. Reminding us that even though
"I'm not much to look at, this is quite clear,
but I have wondrous adventures both far and near." - Oh, The Places You've Been
I received a copy of this advanced reader's copy for free. I am leaving my honest, unbiased review voluntarily.
This review will post to my blog on Feb 3, 2020. All of my reviews can be found at: https://shejustlovesbooks.com/
The Illustration in Oh, the Places You’ve Been is beautiful. With a feel of watercolor at times, they are soft and colorful. Each page depicts a location where the penny in the story has been and my daughter really enjoyed looking at the details on each page.
A really fun addition to the pages is that each period in the sentences is actually a little penny! One of our favorite pages is where the penny is on a hillside and can hear the waves crashing on the shore. Everything is bathed in a blue glow of the moonlight and there are two bears at the waters edge. That page had my daughter stopping to really discuss all the animals and people that penny has been near.
How I Felt:
The Story: This book was wonderful! The story is such a great idea. Most pennies would have quite the story to tell if they could talk and I love the idea of this one telling its story to little Harper. My daughter was able to follow along in the story and I feel it works well for a preschool to middle elementary child.
"There’s advice to be learned from the tales I’ve told.
Even pennies long forgotten have adventures to behold.” OH, THE PLACES YOU’VE BEEN BY BEN EVERARD WITH MARY EVERARD
The Writing: This story is told through rhyme. The cadence was nice and the words flowed easily as I was reading. Some pages have just four lines, while others have a bit more. It was just long enough that my little reader had enough time to look at the photos and listen to the words without losing interest. It’s one that I would love to read again and again!
To Read or Not To Read:
Oh, the Places You’ve Been is an excellent book for any young reader. This would be a great addition to any home library. It would also make a great addition to preschool and elementary school stacks!
What's This Book About Anyway?
Little Harper Glen finds a penny on the sidewalk. This penny has so much to say! The penny tells Harper its story, all the places it has been to, the struggles and excitement. Reminding us that even though
"I'm not much to look at, this is quite clear,
but I have wondrous adventures both far and near." - Oh, The Places You've Been
I received a copy of this advanced reader's copy for free. I am leaving my honest, unbiased review voluntarily.
This review will post to my blog on Feb 3, 2020. All of my reviews can be found at: https://shejustlovesbooks.com/
February 4, 2020
This is a tale, which perks the imagination and invites all of those, who've ever found a penny, to wonder and dream.
When young Harper finds a penny on the sidewalk, she doesn't stick it into her pocket but rather listens and learns about all of the places that penny has been. And it's a history full of surprises.
The idea behind this book already captivated me and had my children excited to dive into the pages. Almost everyone has found a coin—in this case, a penny—on the ground at one time or another. Although a penny is only a small thing, the discovery is always a little exciting and sure to add a tiny joy to the day. But this book takes it a step further and invites young listeners/readers to consider all the places that penny has already been. And that is quite the thought!
Written in rhyme, this makes a lovely read-aloud. Each page offers a new place where the penny has been and gives a quick and interesting glimpse at what it might have 'experienced'. Everything from snow to tall trees to the sea and more falls into the places the penny has been. Not only are the places quickly described, but the author adds sometimes humorous, sometimes thoughtful and sometimes simply interesting tidbits along the way to help bring each scene a little more to life. The illustrations flow right along with it, allowing each scene to develop added richness and detail. It will have kids gazing through and thinking about each place even on their own.
And next time they pick up a coin, they probably will take at least a second to wonder what adventures it has experienced and all the places it might have been.
I received an early copy and not only enjoyed reading this with my kids, but we found ourselves dreaming and wondering about all the places our found coins might have been as well.
When young Harper finds a penny on the sidewalk, she doesn't stick it into her pocket but rather listens and learns about all of the places that penny has been. And it's a history full of surprises.
The idea behind this book already captivated me and had my children excited to dive into the pages. Almost everyone has found a coin—in this case, a penny—on the ground at one time or another. Although a penny is only a small thing, the discovery is always a little exciting and sure to add a tiny joy to the day. But this book takes it a step further and invites young listeners/readers to consider all the places that penny has already been. And that is quite the thought!
Written in rhyme, this makes a lovely read-aloud. Each page offers a new place where the penny has been and gives a quick and interesting glimpse at what it might have 'experienced'. Everything from snow to tall trees to the sea and more falls into the places the penny has been. Not only are the places quickly described, but the author adds sometimes humorous, sometimes thoughtful and sometimes simply interesting tidbits along the way to help bring each scene a little more to life. The illustrations flow right along with it, allowing each scene to develop added richness and detail. It will have kids gazing through and thinking about each place even on their own.
And next time they pick up a coin, they probably will take at least a second to wonder what adventures it has experienced and all the places it might have been.
I received an early copy and not only enjoyed reading this with my kids, but we found ourselves dreaming and wondering about all the places our found coins might have been as well.
February 3, 2020
In celebration of the lowly penny, Oh, the Places You've Been is a fun travel through time from the viewpoint of a penny. We know pennies make the rounds, but this imaginative book lets the penny tell the story. I enjoyed imagining places a penny could go (and be lost). I loved the tiny periods at the end of sentences being pennies. I liked the way the penny shared his story to the young girl, Harper Glen. Pennies are important! Fun illustrations and perspectives. I know I love to imagine where my found coins have traveled. Readers can be encouraged to keep their eyes open for lost coins (or dig in pockets, purses, and couches) and guess what adventures the coins have been experiencing. Great read!
June 14, 2021
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is Oh, The Places You’ve Been, written by Ben Everard with Mary Everard, and illustrated by Andrea Alemanno, a reflection on the surprising life of the coins in our pockets.
A little girl named Harper is dashing down the street one day when a glimmer catches her eye. On the pavement is a shiny penny; Harper is drawn to pick it up, whereupon she hears a faint whisper. Holding the penny to her ear, she can hear it speak! It explains that while it may not be much to look at, it has a long history and has travelled far and wide, from the bottom of a reef to a quiet forest to a bustling city to a snowy mountain, and even… beyond the stars?
Ambitious and interesting. The provenance of everyday items can be an interesting subject for kidlit (for instance, A Stone For Sascha by Aaron Becker is a masterpiece), especially because it gives little ones an opportunity to meditate on a larger world and a lengthier history than their own. Starting from this concept, the book then follows the penny through its history, and this is where the narrative plateaus. The reader is shown various natural landscapes and one urban one, but with little indication of how the penny ended up there (the penny’s narration explains some, but not all, of the transitions, and the illustrations depict only the locales, devoid of humans). The art is lovely, but it feels largely like a missed opportunity to show how the penny might have traveled from place to place, which would’ve made for a more dynamic story. In addition, a final scene showing the penny present in Neil Armstrong’s pocket during the moon landing comes out of left field, and is both historically inaccurate and a logistical impossibility. The idea of musing on the journeys and “lives” of objects is a great one, and this tale of a wandering penny has great promise, some soothing art, and clever design (all the periods are pennies!), but stumbles on the execution. Otherwise, the length was fine, if a little long; JJ was invested at first but begin to squirm at some of the wordier pages. An earnest, if imperfect, indie that’s worth a look, especially for currency enthusiasts. Baby Bookworm approved!
(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews