Penelope and the Preposterous Birthday Party
Written by Sheri Radford, Illustrated by Christine Tripp,
Page 1
Ding Dong.
Into the house streamed a horde of hyper children.
Page 2
"Happy birthday, Penelope!" they shouted.
Page 3
"Penelope," said her mother, "I thought you were inviting just your closest friends to the party. This looks like your entire grade from school."
"I didn't want to leave anyone out," said Penelope.
Page 4
Children were everywhere. They ran up and down the stairs.
Page 5
They bounced on the sofa.
Page 6
They stuck their fingers in the icing on the birthday cake then smeared sticky fingers on the walls and furniture.
Page 7
"Is this everyone?" Penelope's father asked.
"Well, maybe just one or two more," said Penelope.
Page 8
"This party is outrageous," said Penelope's mother, shaking her head. A little boy ran by with a lampshade on his head, chased by a little girl who was trying to show him her flowered tights.
Page 9
Ding Dong. Into the house streamed
a score of soccer players
and a bevy of ballet dancers.
"Happy birthday, Penelope!" they shouted.
Page 10
"Penelope," said her mother,
"I thought you were inviting just your
closest friends to the party? This looks
like your entire soccer team and all
the kids from your ballet lessons!"
"I didn't want to leave anyone out,"
said Penelope.
Page 11
The ballet dancers pliéd and jetéd through the house. They kicked high kicks that knocked over knick-knacks.
Page 12
The soccer players dribbled their balls through the kitchen and took penalty shots in the living room.
Page 13
"Is this everyone?" Penelope's father asked.
"Well, maybe just two or three more," said Penelope.
Page 14
"This party is ridiculous,"
said Penelope's mother, rubbing her forehead. A soccer player bounced a ball between his head and the ceiling. Two children swung from the chandelier.
Page 15
Ding Dong. Into the house streamed a multitude
of monkeys and a crowd of clowns
and a menagerie of magicians.
"Happy birthday, Penelope!" they shouted.
Page 16
"Penelope," said her mother, "I thought you were
inviting just your closest friends to the party.
This looks like all the people and all the
animals from the circus we saw last weekend."
"I didn't want to leave anyone out," said Penelope.
Page 17
A monkey and a trapeze artist swung from the ceiling fan. A pony meandered through the kitchen and began slurping from the punch bowl.
Page 18
Nine clowns argued about whose turn it was to drive the clown car.
Page 19
"Is this everyone?" Penelope's father asked.
"Well, maybe just three or four more," said Penelope.
Page 20
Children stuffed cotton candy into their mouths and into each other's ears. A magician tried to make a soccer player disappear, but a ballet dancer vanished instead. An acrobat somersaulted through the house and out the back door.
Page 21
A giraffe ambled by the window, poked its head into the second-floor bathroom, and began munching on the aloe vera plant.
Page 22
"This party is preposterous!"
Penelope's mother shouted over the noise, rubbing her forehead again. A sticky, crying child clung to one of her legs, and a sticky, chattering monkey clung to the other.
Page 23
"This party is fabulous! Next year's will be even better!"
Penelope shouted back.
"Next year you'll invite just four or five of your closest friends to the party," Penelope's mother corrected firmly.
Page 24
Penelope and her parents watched a trio of horses
prance around the yard. They watched a troupe of
trapeze artists swing from the clothesline.
They watched an elephant sit on the patio furniture,
squashing it flat. "This party is preposterous,"
Penelope whispered to herself. She turned to her parents.
Page 25
"Okay, next year I won't invite the elephant!"
