(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

(2) PS Illustrated by Daniel Rieley. After an oil spill, well-meaning offstage "Big Boots" try outfitting penguins with sweaters to protect them. The be-sweatered penguins look adorable in Rieley's crisp-lined, ice-cool-colored mixed-media art. But as Tamura's author's note explains, sweaters are almost as bad for penguins as spilled oil. The last pages of this gentle cautionary tale hint at this point: beware the easy fix, even when the fix is unbelievably cute.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018

(3) PS Illustrated by Kasia Matyjaszek. A dark-skinned, curly-haired little girl likes to play dress-up. One day, she is a penguin. And the next day...and the next. Her family mostly indulges her fancy but grows exasperated with her commitment to penguin-hood when she slides down the stairs on her belly, is a penguin at her aunt's wedding, and tries to catch fish sticks in her "beak." A funny and preschooler-relatable romp with bright, stylized mixed-media illustrations.

Reviewer: Jeannie Coutant

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Diego Funck. The panda, penguin, and zebra from The Black and White Factory return to guide readers through the Color Factory, where only "factory-approved" colors are allowed. Things quickly go awry, but the animals--and readers--learn to have fun with all sorts of "non-approved" colors. While lacking its predecessor's freshness, the endearing heroes and eye-catching illustrations will satisfy fans eager for more interactive color-mixing high jinks.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 The title character and his henchmen, Number 8 (a sharply dressed octopus) and Eugene (a diminutive abominable-snowman clone), engage in various plots to take over the world. Their plans fail in spectacularly silly ways due to their collective ineptitude. This graphic novel uses bright colors and copious panels (some cramped) to emphasize the silly nature of the group's "evil" deeds.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) PS Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. A bouncy rhyme introduces little penguin Pip-Pip, who's afraid of the water. His understanding mother urges him to think positive thoughts about the sea (e.g., there could be "friends for you to meet"), instead of fearing monsters and other disasters. Large, expressive blue- and purple-tinged illustrations show nervous Pip-Pip finally taking the plunge, as well as his delight when he realizes he can swim.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert

(4) PS In this logical, amiable successor to Penguins Love Colors, Mama Penguin sends her six chicks on an "Alphabet Hunt," placing a clue in the snow above each letter (a is under an apple, etc.). The omniscient narrator's questions ("Which color flower do you like best?") feel disruptive; more engaging are the book's visual gags, especially when "u is for underpants!"

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Penguins' attributes are pitted against puffins' in over twenty categories ("highest flier," "best swimmer," "cutest baby," etc.), each allotted one double-page spread; the reader is invited to decide which bird wins. The match-up conceit, punny text, and cartoony illustrations are occasionally hokey but overall present information in an engaging way. Large photos show the birds in action. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(3) PS Kenneth won't accept Little Penguin's apology for eating his lollipop. Little Penguin asks readers to make funny faces to cheer Kenneth up. A new lollipop solves some problems but creates others. The digitally colored pen-and-ink illustrations juxtapose icy seascapes with goofy expressions and antics. Silly text in a bold, elongated font and slapstick illustrations combine for a humorous take on friendship and ownership.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 A day in the life of a rockhopper penguin family features Bishop's stunning photographs. Simple sentences accompany the photos to tell the story of the mother penguin's hunt for food while baby and father remain behind. There's a bit of drama when the chick wanders off, but all ends well with the mother's return. An appended author's note offers more information.

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo