Penny Lu Porcupine

Illustrated by Maribel Lechuga
A cautious porcupine summons the courage to stand up to threats both real and imagined, reassuring readers that they, too, can face their fears.

Like all porcupines, Penny Lu is nearsighted. So while her incredible sense of smell leads her to all sorts of yummy food, predators can be hard to spot. Thankfully, she has another feature that’s quite amazing—her pointy quills! Even when she’s scared, they make her look powerful. But sometimes Penny Lu doesn’t feel powerful. And she wonders what she’d do if she came face-to-face with the predator she fears the most—THE BEAR! With its rollicking, rhyming text and adorable art, Penny Lu Porcupine will charm readers and reassure them that they too can face their fears.
Katie Gilstrap (KatieGilstrap.com), author of Spacemanatee! and the forthcoming Finnegan Fox, is a wildlife advocate and former veterinary technician from south-central Kansas. Diagnosed with panic disorder and OCD at an early age, Katie strives to celebrate neurodiversity in children’s literature by writing kid-friendly books that inspire confidence, courage, and self-acceptance.

Maribel Lechuga (MaribelLechuga.com) is a freelance illustrator from Madrid, Spain. Her previous picture books include Ten Beautiful Things (by Molly Beth Griffin), What’s in Your Pocket? (by Heather L. Montgomery), and Seaside Stroll (by Charles Trevino). She loves nature, animal watching, hiking, and a good conversation.
“Gilstrap’s well-constructed rhyming narrative demands to be read aloud. Readers will delight in Lechuga’s velvety illustrations, which include details such as a praying mantis’s intimidating posturing, a startled owl, and watchful predators lurking in the background. In an author’s note, Gilstrap provides information about porcupines and insight into her own childhood panic disorder, both of which enrich the story and invite conversation about bravery in the face of anxiety. Rich illustrations and a snappy rhyming text reinforce the power of inner strength.” —Kirkus Reviews

About

A cautious porcupine summons the courage to stand up to threats both real and imagined, reassuring readers that they, too, can face their fears.

Like all porcupines, Penny Lu is nearsighted. So while her incredible sense of smell leads her to all sorts of yummy food, predators can be hard to spot. Thankfully, she has another feature that’s quite amazing—her pointy quills! Even when she’s scared, they make her look powerful. But sometimes Penny Lu doesn’t feel powerful. And she wonders what she’d do if she came face-to-face with the predator she fears the most—THE BEAR! With its rollicking, rhyming text and adorable art, Penny Lu Porcupine will charm readers and reassure them that they too can face their fears.

Author

Katie Gilstrap (KatieGilstrap.com), author of Spacemanatee! and the forthcoming Finnegan Fox, is a wildlife advocate and former veterinary technician from south-central Kansas. Diagnosed with panic disorder and OCD at an early age, Katie strives to celebrate neurodiversity in children’s literature by writing kid-friendly books that inspire confidence, courage, and self-acceptance.

Maribel Lechuga (MaribelLechuga.com) is a freelance illustrator from Madrid, Spain. Her previous picture books include Ten Beautiful Things (by Molly Beth Griffin), What’s in Your Pocket? (by Heather L. Montgomery), and Seaside Stroll (by Charles Trevino). She loves nature, animal watching, hiking, and a good conversation.

Praise

“Gilstrap’s well-constructed rhyming narrative demands to be read aloud. Readers will delight in Lechuga’s velvety illustrations, which include details such as a praying mantis’s intimidating posturing, a startled owl, and watchful predators lurking in the background. In an author’s note, Gilstrap provides information about porcupines and insight into her own childhood panic disorder, both of which enrich the story and invite conversation about bravery in the face of anxiety. Rich illustrations and a snappy rhyming text reinforce the power of inner strength.” —Kirkus Reviews

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more