________________ CM . . . . Volume VIII Number 1 . . . . September 7, 2001

cover Benny Bensky and the Perogy Palace.

Mary Borsky. Illustrated by Linda Hendry.
Toronto, ON: Tundra, 2001.
120 pp., pbk., $8.99.
ISBN 0-88776-523-8.

Grades 3-5 / Ages 8-10.

Review by Gillian Noonan.

*** /4

excerpt:

Benny Bensky woke to the delicate aroma of bacon and the sense that this was not a regular day. Could it possibly be, he asked himself dreamily, Christmas morning? He sniffed the air and wiggled himself slowly into wakefulness. Could it possibly be, he asked himself again, my birthday? Could it possibly be ... and suddenly he opened his eyes to find Mr. Bensky beaming down at him.

"Good morning, Benny!" Mr. Bensky boomed. "All ready for your first day of obedience school?"

image Benny Bensky is a lovable pooch whose easy-going life with Rosie Bensky and her parents is thrown into turmoil when a few mistakes lead him to Ms. Viola Pin's dog obedience school. As the title, Benny Bensky and the Perogy Palace, suggests, there are two story lines -- one, Benny Bensky, and the other, the Perogy Palace. The Perogy Palace is the Bensky family restaurant and it is losing customers. The perogies are just not as good as they were, and even Benny won't eat them. The mystery of the perogies is tied to Benny's problems at dog obedience school. It is up to Rosie, her friend, Fran, and Benny to solve the mystery and save the day.

     Benny Bensky and the Perogy Palace is a good read aloud for an upper primary, early elementary audience. Young readers will readily identify and sympathize with the problems of Benny, Rosie, and Fran. The problems of the Perogy Palace will take second place in their interest just as it does in this book. It is not until near the end that the few clues dropped throughout the obedience school misadventure are connected to the restaurant's misfortunes. The ethnic element of perogies adds to the story's interest and a recipe for perogies is included at the end of the story.

Recommended.

Gillian Martin Noonan is a teacher living in Old Perlican, Newfoundland.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

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