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Summary
Summary
A quirky new tale from a rising talent -- in which a bossy little boy receives a surprising comeuppance.
When Ben rips open his present, he finds a penguin inside. "Hello, Penguin!" he says. "What shall we play?" But Penguin says nothing. Even when Ben tickles its belly, sings a funny song, does a dizzy dance, stands on his head, sticks out his tongue, and resorts to increasingly rude and drastic measures, Penguin makes no response. What will it take for Penguin to say something -- or for Ben to understand what Penguin has to say? Fresh, spare illustrations bring whimsy to this wonderful tale, in which a silent Penguin turns marvelously eloquent and a little boy finally gets his heart's desire.
Author Notes
Polly Dunbar is the author-illustrator of DOG BLUE and FLYAWAY KATIE and the illustrator of SHOE BABY, written by her mother, Joyce Dunbar. She lives in Brighton, England.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-A pajama-clad toddler opens his present to find a toy penguin. Much to Ben's chagrin, the bird doesn't say anything, no matter how hard the boy tries to engage it-singing, dancing, even sticking out his tongue in exasperation. It isn't until a blue lion chomps on the child that Penguin jumps into action and rescues his new pal. Facial features on each character, down to even the simplest dots used for eyeballs, show a range of expressions from anger to frustration and, finally, love. The attractive, spare illustrations in mixed media are focused and centered on a white background. The culminating spread says it all-with a heart. A tender supplement for toy and companionship titles.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Dunbar's (Flyaway Katie) winsome mixed media illustrations carry the day in a story that pulls a few punches on readers. From the striking white cover illustrations of Penguin with the title displayed in textured primary colors, to the blue Sendak-like lion that precipitates the denouement, the illustrations are child-centered, deceptively simple, and satisfying. No matter what Ben does, his new penguin won't respond. The white background focuses attention on the characters, while Dunbar's use of line is particularly effective in showing Ben's mixed emotions. The abrupt resolution of Ben's problem, however, while creative, could be problematic. When a passing Lion swallows the frustrated toddler for noisily shouting, "SAY SOMETHING!" Penguin bites Lion's nose. Ben is instantly burped up, and finally, "Penguin [says] everything." But Penguin's way of "saying everything" is to use pictures; these are contained in a huge speech bubble. Because the book initially seems to present a real boy and his stuffed toy, Lion's appearance seems surprising, as if a phoenix emerged in the middle of a pioneer diary. This change in the construction of the reality of the story may be baffling or intriguing depending on the reader, but nearly everyone will enjoy retracing and comparing the narrator's story told in words with Penguin's story told in pictures. Ages 4-7. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
In this fanciful tale, a boy unwraps a gift penguin and tries to make it talk. When his entertaining antics fail, Ben tries prodding, imitating and ignoring Penguin, then shifts to even rasher methods, including strapping the bird to an outer-space-bound rocket. When Ben tries to feed Penguin to a large powder-blue lion, the creature swallows the obstreperous boy instead. Penguin, finally galvanized, bites Lion "very hard on the nose," freeing Ben. Penguin finally lets loose with the speechifying, which Dunbar charmingly depicts as a giant word bubble with child-like pictograms that summarize the adventure. Visually, Ben's contortions and Lion's aplomb hearken back to early Sendak. While it's at first unclear whether the immutable Penguin is a stuffed toy, a pet or something else entirely, kids will know--by story's end at the very latest--that this bird's a friend. An attractively designed, child-appealing package. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
"Ben is disappointed that the penguin he receives as a present is mute. He tries everything from tickling it to entertaining it with a song and a dizzy dance, but Penguin doesn't speak. Ben fires Penguin into outer space, but he returns as silent as ever. Then he tries to feed Penguin to a passing lion, but the lion goes after Ben instead. Penguin saves the day and then recounts all of the preceding episodes in his own, pictorial language. The closing scene, in which Penguin responds to Ben's hug by uttering a heart-shaped message, warmly conveys that the adversaries have finally found common ground. Dunbar complements her short, straightforward text with equally spare illustrations, judiciously brightened with color, in which Ben, Penguin, and Lion (and little else) appear on completely white pages. This brief, brisk story will hold the attention of impatient children, while its messages about easing standoffs through communication and mutual respect bears repeated reading."--"Enos, Randall" Copyright 2007 Booklist
