Pennies in a Jar

Pennies in a Jar, written by Dori Chaconas, takes place during the World War II era, and begins with a young boy saying goodbye to his father as his father goes overseas to fight in the war. Everyday, the young boys sits for hours on his front porch watching the large horses carrying wagons of vendors and collectors for the war effort, but feels ashamed of his fears (of horses) and wants to be brave like his dad. He finally builds up enough courage to approach the street horses and takes a picture on one, for a great birthday gift to send his dad.

I really enjoyed the message the Chaconas was sending through her historical fiction picture book. I thought this book would be great for the lower elementary school children because even though there is a fair amount of text on each page, the words are not difficult and the message isn’t difficult to understand. It’s interesting how she incorporated a story about a young boy during World War II and a lesson he learned, that could also be relatable to children today. In addition, the pictures in this book are great. The watercolor painting provides tons of big pictures with a variety of color.