Common Sense Media Review
By Susan Faust
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Playful tale of zoo gentoo in search of his natural habitat.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In JONTY GENTOO: THE ADVENTURES OF A PENGUIN, a gentoo in the zoo hears his aunts' tale about a land far away where thousands of his own kind live. He determines to leave his comfortable life to find that place. He escapes the zoo and sets out on a grand journey, first in the wrong direction, landing where a polar bear sets him straight. Wrong Pole! A tern that migrates from pole to pole twice each year takes Jonty in the right direction until an expedition ship picks up the exhausted penguin to help him complete the long journey. Along the way, Jonty has encountered many animals including cuttlefish, jellyfish, cod, krill, seal, owl, swordfish, and whale. Arriving in Antarctica, Jonty first sees Emperor and Adélie penguins before spotting "a heart-warming huddle of gorgeous gentoos." They are the ones with the orange beaks, just like his own. Back matter tells more about "Amazing Birds," namely terns and penguins.
Is It Any Good?
Proving that facts can easily be incorporated into a fun and fanciful tale without ever seeming didactic, this charming picture book checks a lot of kid-appeal boxes. In Jonty Gentoo: The Adventures of a Penguin, kids will meet a penguin, not unlike themselves. Jonty is adventurous, curious, brave, and persevering. Kids will also learn about the fauna of the north and south polar regions and some in between. The playful rhyming text flows naturally and invites engagement; wait for kids to fill in the last word in a rhyming line. The illustrations are cheerful and clear, matching the text to follow both the made-up story and what's real. As in their earlier books, Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler create a fun and engaging reading experience, whether read aloud to a group or shared on a lap. This heart-warming picture book about how Jonty finally finds "a heart-warming huddle of gorgeous gentoos" is sure to be a hit with young readers and their adults.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Jonty the Gentoo: The Adventures of a Penguin and the difference between life for animals in the zoo and in the wild. Why does Jonty want to be free even if he won't be cared for by the kindly zookeeper?
In the story, Jonty's aunts tell him a tale about a land far away where Gentoo penguins live in the wild. He determines to find out if there is such a land and where it is. Has a story ever inspired you to do something?
Jonty is curious about life in the wild, and he is courageous in trying to find his natural habitat. What are you curious about? Have you ever had to show courage?
Jonty gets very lost looking for his own kind in the wild, but, with some help, he perseveres. Have you ever had to keep trying to do something? If so, what?
The illustrator paints lots of animals. Do you like to draw or paint animals? If so, which ones? Do you like to make them realistic or not?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Axel Scheffler
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals ( Ocean Creatures , Wild Animals ) , STEM
- Character Strengths : Courage , Curiosity , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : October 1, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Hardback
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate