(3) PS Animal Lovers series. Photos are an apt choice for illustrating board-book nonfiction. Here, the striking full-bleed photos of penguins ­caring for chicks, diving in water, and waddling through icy landscapes will captivate animal fans. The text, which has one to two sentences per double-page spread, is clear, direct, and enlightening: "A group of ­penguins in the water is called a RAFT." For more simple nonfiction, look for Maisy Loves Bees, Maisy Loves Trees, and Maisy Loves Water [Maisy's Planet] (Candlewick) by Lucy Cousins featuring the iconic (fictional) white mouse.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Axel Scheffler. Jonty Gentoo is a young penguin who is content in his zoo home until his aunts' tales of the South Pole awaken his desire to explore. "He longed for the snow / and he dreamed of the Pole. / 'To reach it,' he said, / 'is my one dearest goal.'" Jonty escapes his enclosure and swims to a distant land of snow and ice, surely "the land of the penguins." A polar bear regretfully informs Jonty that he's arrived at the North Pole. A migrating Arctic tern redirects the lost bird, and "the bird in the sea and the bird in the sky" travel to the South Pole, where Jonty is welcomed by "a heart-warming huddle of gorgeous gentoos." Donaldson and Scheffler's latest collaboration (notably The Gruffalo; most recently The Baddies, rev. 7/23) is a playful rhyming adventure that's fun to read aloud and well supported by Scheffler's recognizable cartoon illustrations. Back matter provides some information about the story's two "Amazing Birds." An uplifting tale of big dreams and friends who help along the way.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2024

(3) K-3 I Can Read!: Comics series. In this beginning-reader comic, when Mom says it’s time for bed a young penguin pretends to be a busy adult with “27 emails” to read. Chip complains and suggests that she “be the kid” and turn in, while Chip gets to be the grown-up. A lengthy bedtime routine and Mom’s list of nightly chores makes Chip reconsider. Large panels and simple sentences with a mix of one-syllable and longer words (cf2]laundry, tomorrow), make this a suitable offering for emerging readers.

Reviewer:

(2) K-3 "Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the penguin village ate cold fish." Umami, a brown and white penguin in a homogenous community, is bored with the monotonous meals of bland fish served in her colony. Craving new flavors, she sets off in a small fishing boat in search of more appetizing cuisines. Upon arriving in a different land, the penguin smells the aromas of unfamiliar foods. "'Oh, my sweet little beak!' said Umami. 'Nothing ever smelled so spectacular.'" She samples a smorgasbord of salty, sour, bitter, sweet, and spicy foods, as well as those with the "meaty and savory" flavor for which she's named. She hauls home a bounty of ingredients to introduce to her village and serves up a feast, which devolves into a humorous feeding frenzy. Grant's colored-pencil and oil pastel monoprint illustrations depict a penguin experiencing diversity in a populous land, home to numerous types of animals. As Umami leaves the humdrum of her village and travels abroad to experience the vibrancy of variety, the cool color palette simmers into a range of buttery yellows and chili reds. Umami's lively culinary exploration may stir curiosity in young foodies to venture beyond familiar comfort food.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) PS Illustrated by Jarvis. A tired penguin perched atop the head of a gentle, goofy lion wants some sleep, but the lion is wide awake: "Tell me a story, Penguin." Penguin, whose eyes are barely open, promises a story later and falls asleep. Bright digital illustrations convey Penguin's detailed dream world in gauzy bursts of color, contrasting with the stark white backgrounds of consciousness when a loud noise startles Penguin awake. Lion feigns innocence ("Oh, Penguin! Are you awake?"), but the page-turn reveals Lion sitting behind a betraying drum set. The situation escalates: Penguin keeps falling asleep, Lion keeps interfering -- crunching on a loud snack, bouncing on a trampoline. The art deftly moves the story (all in dialogue with alternating font colors for the two characters) between dreams and reality. The animated Lion, eagerly prodding for more dream details ("Sounds magical! Tell me every little thing"), makes a funny and irresistible foil to the exhausted, frustrated Penguin. In the end, Penguin relents and tells Lion a story...about a sleepy penguin who tells a lion a story. Lion declares this story lazy, but it does the trick. Lion falls asleep, and the two friends share rainbow dreams of puppies, unicorns, and candy together at last. This contentious going-to-sleep sequence between two appealing characters has all the right ingredients for sharing aloud, whether it is time for bed or simply time for a story.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(2) K-3 In this nonjudgmental, laid-back, and very funny picture book, a bespectacled young penguin demonstrates how to cope with a potty accident at school: "It can happen when you are sleeping. It can happen in class. It can happen when you are sleeping in class." From possible causes (e.g., not wanting to interrupt a lesson, drinking too much lemonade at lunch) to avoidance techniques ("the grab-and-hold...obvious but effective") to coping skills after the fact (cause a distraction, find clean clothes), the text is unfailingly reassuring: "We've all been there." The art, in a soothing limited palette, has a subdued, retro flair. There are funny visual gags (origami undies) and pee-pee puns (book titles glimpsed in the art include Urine Control and Pee Prepared), but the humor is never at anyone's expense. And best of all, the culminating messages of problem-solving, helpfulness, and, especially, empathy are transferable to other would-be embarrassing situations -- peelieve it or not.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Renato Alarcão. Seu Joao lives on an island off the coast of Brazil. When an oil-soaked Magellanic penguin washes ashore, Seu Joao takes him home, cleans him with dish soap, and names him Dindim (a grandson's attempt to pronounce the Portuguese word for penguin). As Dindim rehabilitates, the pair forms an attachment, though Seu Joao, respectful of the needs of wild animals, repeatedly tries to send Dindim back to the sea. Dindim does not leave--until one day, months later, he does. Earle's account of this true story is skillfully restrained, describing only the two characters' actions, and leaving readers to infer what human and animal feel for each other. "Seu Joao sat and drank his coffee. His lap was empty. But he remembered Dindim's silky feathers and the beat of his heart." Four months later, when Dindim amazingly returns, "the penguin waddled as fast as his little legs could carry him, right into Seu Joao's arms." Alarcao's pastel-colored illustrations capture the appeal of the people, animals, and beaches of Praia Proveta. In addition to a brief glossary, appended notes provide additional information about Seu Joao and Dindim, facts about penguins and threats to their survival, and steps that readers can take to help protect threatened species.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

(2) 1-3 This debut comic is a collection of six short stories about Reggie, a penguin who deals with such kid-centric trials as picture day, a babysitter who treats him like a baby, and getting a stomachache from eating too much raw cookie dough. A few "Word from the Bird" breaks give Reggie opportunities for direct address, encouraging readers to keep going. De Oliveira tells these stories with minimal dialogue and maximum use of all her tools as an illustrator: pacing of panels, expressive lines, selective use of closeups, and bright, cheerful color. The result is a comic that's easy to read but that also shows a keen attunement to kids' interests and thought processes. When Reggie's cousin insists on putting him on a leash before they go to the park ("It's my job to keep you safe"), Reggie acts like a dog (including trying to urinate on a fire hydrant). Eventually his cousin is so mortified, she lets him off the leash--at which point, he and his friends start pretending they're farm animals. The structure of the whole is well paced, too, alternating between stories and segments where Reggie breaks the fourth wall, keeping pages turning.

Reviewer: Adrienne L. Pettinelli | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) PS A deadpan narrator outlines the story of the Dracula family's Saturday trip to the zoo as the illustrations divulge what really happens. The two little Draculas, in their black capes and ­yellow shoes, almost match the ­penguins, and no one notices when the littlest Dracula escapes the stroller and trades places with one of the birds. The text hilariously drones on through the day's itinerary as expressive cartoon art creates mischief throughout. Mercifully, baby Dracula and the penguin manage to reconnect with their original families before the day ends, but not before a souvenir photograph commemorates the situation. A funny (and often startlingly relatable) outing.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Jennifer Thermes. A very proper lady penguin and a bad-mannered mouse stow away on a hot air balloon in this exciting animal adventure. When the balloon is forced to land in the Arctic, the two strangers must learn to get along in order to survive. Themes of overcoming hardship, death, and grief add gravity to this otherwise whimsical tale featuring Thermes's delicate and vibrant pencil illustrations.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan. An omniscient narrator begins by singing the praises of penguins and their faultless manners. Cut-paper-like art shows each declaration ("Penguins always wait their turn") being contradicted by penguin Polly ("I LOVE BUSES! ME FIRST!"). When her mischief inspires copycats, Polly finally reconsiders her behavior ("We've upset baby Peter!"). As far as plugs for politeness go, this one is pleasantly painless.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jonathan Bentley. This Australian import opens with baby penguin Gilbert's magnificent view of a seabird-filled sky. As he grows, Gilbert makes repeated efforts to soar, without success. The illustrations of soaring seabirds, snowy vistas, and underwater landscapes are splendid. Cleverly, the text plays with the story's premise: "up up up" at the opening is followed by "down down down" as Gilbert discovers the breathtaking "second sky" under the waves.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) K-3 In Flight School, Penguin left the South Pole to chase his dream of flying. Here, Penguin misses his old pals and heads home, eager to introduce his colony to the joys of flying. Their reluctance grounds Penguin's enthusiasm until he realizes that he must be true to himself, even if it means being different from his friends. Judge's upbeat pencil and watercolor illustrations are as energetic as her main character.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(3) PS As they relax on their dilapidated sofa, a panda tells its penguin housemate that they need a new one. While out shopping, they disparage every prospective sofa ("Too squishy," "Too colorful," etc.). Upon returning home, they find the "perfect sofa": theirs. This sweet story about the comforts of home has cheeky visuals—e.g., the "too modern" sofa's pattern is Mondrian-esque.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 A year in the life of a newly hatched emperor penguin is described in engaging present-tense text. As the chick grows into an independent year-old adult, the straightforward text explains penguins' food, habitat, skills, adaptations, and threats from global warming. Numerous large, up-close photos of penguins in action help document the penguin's early life and add to the book's appeal for elementary-age animal lovers.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) PS Illustrated by Charles Santoso. An unlikely duo takes a firm stance against any and all nighttime rituals in this lighthearted bedtime book. In speech-bubble dialogue, pajama-clad Penguin and Shrimp reject toothbrushes and pillows while cartoony digital illustrations portray the livelier activities they offer as substitute ("fireworks! / OH YEAH! Now we're talking!"). Even if their eventual submission to slumber is foreseeable, young listeners will enjoy the playful defiance.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Marek Jagucki. The City Aquarium's rare fish are disappearing, and the head keeper is a suspect. Penguins Jackson and Quigley, aspiring FBI (Frosty Bureau of Investigation) agents, find themselves in the middle of the investigation, giving the bird-boys ample opportunities to prove their crime-solving skills and put Q's spy gadgets to use. This humorous, cozy mystery is peppered with plenty of polar-animal puns and black-and-white illustrations.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) 1-3 Translated by Cathy Hirano. Illustrated by Jun Takabatake. In this friendship story from Japan, Professor Whale exchanges letters with young Wally, the grandson of a beloved fellow whale. Reminiscing about the good old days prompts the professor to resurrect the Whale Point Olympics, inviting far-flung friends (including Penguin and Giraffe from Yours Sincerely, Giraffe) to return for the fun and games. Humorous black-and-white line drawings add humor and warmth.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca

(3) K-3 Little Penguin longs to fly like other birds, but despite multiple attempts--shown in a series of small, comical drawings of determined flapping--he cannot get airborne. He discovers, though, that for him, swimming is flying. Kuo uses shades of black, white, and blue to illustrate her straightforward text, with loose, sketchlike lines that allow the crayon-like textures to show.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke

(3) PS Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. Five little penguins sit on the ice; the first three penguins make pleasantries ("Today feels very nice!" and so on) until the fourth and fifth penguins notice a seal: "He wants us for a meal!" The seal gives chase until the reveal that it just wants to play tag. Digitally illustrated in icy blues, this is a lively Antarctic twist on "The Five Little Pumpkins" rhyme.

Reviewer: Kari Allen