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Little Penguins
By Jan Carr,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Beautifully simple book evokes joy of playing in snow.
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What's the Story?
In LITTLE PENGUINS, five penguins who live in an igloo notice the snow outside their window and get dressed to play outside. They put on mittens, scarves, socks, and boots, and head out to slide down their hill. The snow is deep, and they wonder where their mama is. "On her way!" When they realize they're cold, "Brrr," they head home for warm cookies and sippies, then tuck into their five snuggly blanketed beds to sleep.
Is It Any Good?
This elegantly simple book about penguins playing in the snow has the classic feel of a book that can be read and re-read. Its evocative torn-paper collage art and snow theme directly recall Ezra Jack Keats's classic winter book, The Snowy Day, while the deep blue, thickly brush-stroked skies might be an homage to Eric Carle. The questions and simple answers create opportunities for call and response. "Snowflakes? Many snowflakes." "Mittens? Many mittens." Youngest readers can identify with these mitten-wearing penguins, and with the penguins' youthful delight in playing in the snow.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about bundling up for going out in the snow. What do the penguins in Little Penguins wear? What do you wear?
How is the art made? How do you think the artist made the chunky snowflakes? What about the scarves? Do the scarves look different on different pages?
These penguins are like children since they wear clothes and sleep in beds. Can you find any ways they're also like real penguins?
Book Details
- Author: Cynthia Rylant
- Illustrator: Christian Robinson
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Science and Nature
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
- Publication date: October 25, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 7
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: March 4, 2020
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