Book Review: A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis

My sister reports that my niece loves this book I sent her for Christmas. I also gave it to my college roommate’s son this summer, and my 20 readings of it that weekend showed it was a hit there too.

The author of Not a Box and Not a Stick has another winner here. Edna the penguin wants to find something that is not black, not white, and not blue. That’s it. She’s a penguin that thinks there’s more out there. That’s an admirable lesson for kids to learn. All the penguins eventually join her when she finally discovers orange, courtesy of a team of scientists. My favorite penguin is Large Penguin who is always hungry. The last page gives a hope of another color-finding adventure as we catch a glimpse of green. Sometimes the simple stories are really the best. This is great for younger kids, but not so tedious that older siblings (or parents or babysitters) will be bored. It’s peppy and upbeat, encouraging creativity without rebelliousness. A winner!

Incidentally, one of the reasons my niece loves the book is because it stars penguins. So here are some more children’s books I like starring penguins: