Little Penguins

Reviewed by: Deidre Walsh - Goodall Library, Sanford, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 6, 2017

Review

Nominating for Cream of the Crop. It starts with just a few snowflakes. And then five little penguins are excited for winter. They dress in mittens, scarves, socks, & boots and go out to play in the snow with their mama. The snow is so deep and they are having so much fun playing that they lose sight of mama. They soon find each other and head home. They get into their jammies and enjoy cookies and sippies. A happy snow day for a cute penguin family. This is a very sweet & simple story. The text is minimal, from one to four words per page. The words are relatively simple & accessible to young children. and there is some repetition of words so this would make a decent beginning reader as well. The illustrations are done in acrylic paint & cut paper collage. They are gorgeous in their simplicity and enhance the story beautifully. The illustrations are amusing, simple, & detailed all at the same time. Shades of blue dominate most of the pages with other colors providing even more detail. From the first page, where you see the "icy" floor of the igloo home to the kitchen scene at the end, the simple & detailed illustrations tell the story without words. There is a retro feel to the illustrations as well. This would work well not only as a beginning reader, but in large and small group settings and one on one sharing. Pair with "I Am Small" by Emma Dodd for a lovely penguin family story time. This is a wonderful story that is exquisitely illustrated. A must purchase for all libraries.

Overall Book Score: excellent