Teeny Weeny Penny

David M. Kelly teaches religious studies at Brock University in St.
Catharines.

Both books were written as if by a child. Indeed, the narrator, a little
girl named Shaira, tells how she loves her grandmother in the first book
and how she found an old penny in the second. Obviously, author Shenaaz
Nanji is writing for extremely young children.

The books themselves are sickeningly sweet. No modern child is going to
appreciate Shaira, whose dialogue is one step away from baby talk.
They’ll enjoy reading about Shaira’s finding a penny and her refusal
to part with it as much as they’d enjoy sitting down to a plate of
sugarcoated broccoli. Likewise, Grandma’s Heart is about as
interesting as the “pinky piggy” bank in which Shaira hordes her
“teeny weeny pennies.” Nanji has overdosed on saccharine.

About the only saving grace is Penney’s illustrations. Bizarre,
sometimes grotesque, they nevertheless grab one’s attention. Children
may find them amusing, if they can overlook the sugary narrative. Not a
first-choice purchase.