Lindgren, Barbro. Benny’s Had Enough! 26 p. Stockholm New York R&S. 1999. ISBN: 9-12964563-8. Illustrated by Olof Landström; translated by Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard.
Description: Everythings the pits! Benny’s mother is cleaning and cleaning. She wants to arrange Benny’s sticks and potatoes and give Benny a bath. Benny won’t let her. When she tries to wash his stuffy, Little Piggie, it’s the last straw. Benny has had enough and hits the streets with Little Piggie trying to find a new home. Benny makes some discoveries out in the world and returns back to a place that’s actually not so bad after all.
Quantitative analysis: Reading grade level: 2.0
Qualitative analysis: Simple text and playful pictures make this text very accessible to 2nd grade an up. Funny lines like, “All of a sudden, Benny just has to dig a hole somewhere.” will keep readers laughing through the text. Reading for pleasure indeed.
Personal note on the text: Though this book was printed in 1999, I choose to include it for a particular reason. When Benny goes out on his own, he encounters two situations where the “adult” animals are utterly preoccupied with technology. In one scene, Benny is calling out to a bunch of house, but no one notices him because they are all staring at computer screens. I think it holds sadly true as we become distracted from each other in our individual digital worlds.
CCSS:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
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