This is a lovely book about overcoming fears. We all have fears but we have to decide if it's important enough to face. The main character is a boy who is terrified of many things and how he overcomes his fear to make his father proud while away in WWII.

In this book, the boy is afraid of horses and afraid of being left behind while his father goes off to war. Horses were used often to pick up scraps, garbage, and deliver milk. The boy seems curious about these horses but his fears overcome him each time he encounters the majestic beauties. The boy is saving pennies in a jar for his dad's birthday gift but he had not quite figured out what? Then, a man with a pony asks him if he wants to take a picture and at first, he declines but the boy eventually, musters up the strength to take a picture on the horse. What a great birthday gift for his dad? His dad would not only receive this precious memory of his son while away but he will see how his son had overcome his fears. The picture for his dad was more important than his fear so he did it! ( )

The young boy-narrator of this work of picture-book historical fiction relates the tale of how he struggles with his fear of the neighborhood horses, after his father leaves to fight in World War II. Although he promised to be brave, and although he wants to live up to his father's expectations, the boy has trouble overcoming his trepidation, as various vendors and collectors come by with their horse-drawn conveyances. But when he has an opportunity to have his photograph taken while riding a small pony, the boy finally decides how he will spend his small hoard of pennies, carefully saved in order to buy a birthday present for his father...

An engaging, quietly thoughtful narrative about the experiences of one child on the American home front during World War II is paired with lovely watercolor artwork in Pennies in a Jar. I don't think I had ever really considered how metal and gasoline shortages during that period would effect methods of transportation here at home, so it came as a surprise to realize that the merchants and vendors of the 1940s would have had to revert to horse-drawn carts and carriages, in order to make their deliveries and collections. The boy's fear is depicted sympathetically in Dori Chaconas' text, while illustrator Ted Lewin captures his many equine encounters in the light-filled artwork. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books about the American home front in WWII, and to those searching for children's stories about learning to overcome fear. ( )

The boy in the story is growing up during WW II and his father is deployed. The boy is saving all his pennies to get his dad a special birthday gift for when his father. The boy is afraid of many things that surround him in his daily life, from the horse that pulls the milk cart, the garbage wagon, and the newspaper man's cart. The boy wonders if he cannot face these fears, how can he take care of things until his father returns? A photographer comes by that has a pony, that seems to be not as scary as his other fears, so he gets up the courage to approach the pony. He pays the photographer with his pennies and ends up with a great gift for his dad, a photo showing how brave he has become.
Classroom:
This book could be used for a number of things: How to overcome fear? How does a child feel when his parent is deployed and they feel they need to take care of things at home? Saving money for something special. Being a former military spouse, I think this could really help students understand what a child may go through when their parent is deployed or absent sue to other reasons, a lesson in empathy.

This is the sweet book of a boy who wants to send a gift to his father.....but he discovers that the best way to do that is by conquering his fear of horses and showing proof of that. That he has become the man of the house while Dad is away at war.

This is a story about a young boy whose father has just left to fight in World War II. The young boy desperately wants to buy his father a birthday present while he is away, so he helps out his neighborhood ragman and milkman to collect pennies. The ragman, milkman, and even the garbage man each have horses to carry their items. At first the young boy is afraid of the horses, but he learns to be brave. Then a man with a pony offers him a pony ride and picture. The boy sends the picture to his father for his birthday present. ( )