Simply beautiful!
Not only are the illustrations beautiful, but they have a very authentic feel. Additionally, the story teaches a bit about the culture....the translation to pa Dutch is amazing! ....just wish I could have shared this with my pa Dutch-speaking grandmother. What a great read!

holds on to my heritage
A wonderfuly funny book. I purchased this for my father (who is PA dutch and can speak the language) as a Christmas gift. My mother read it to friends on New Years, and was a big hit. She can do the accent perfectly, sounding just like Mammy (my late great grandmother). This book brought back fond memories of Sundays from when I was very little. A large Sunday dinner spread shared with family and any cousins who dropped by, most of all who spoke PA Dutch. To this day my teenage daughters and I still use many Pa Dutch words in our daily lives. These are some of the little things that bring smiles to all of us. Somehow it helps preserve our heritage. Even if you know nothing about the PA Dutch, this book is a great read.

Perfect for Educators!
My Special Education students, ages 5 to 9, were very engaged in the Penny Olive story. They loved the illustrations and the little girl who shared her experiences as a child growing up in Berks County. Exposure to another language was an added bonus and an opportunity for me to discuss other cultures. I found some simple Hex signs for them to color, giving them something concrete to share this lesson with their families.

Get this book!
Penny Olive is an original, bilingual (Deitsch-English) book that is as enjoyable for those learning Deitsch as it is for native speakers. The artwork matches the story impeccably. As is the case with all of the Deitsch folk art of Rachel Yoder that I have seen, the illustrations contain traditional elements that set it clearly within the context of the Deitsch culture while also containing new and creative expressions that are consistent with Deitsch themes. Doug Madenford did a great job with the translation from English to Deitsch. We need more of this kind of book!