Author: Meg McKinlay
Illustrator: Mark Jackson
ISBN: 978-1-760650-39-1
RRP: $16.99
Publication Date: June 1, 2018
Publisher: Walker Books Australia
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
The Penguins Are Coming is a massive hit in our house. Master 4 and I have read it, I think, 4 times today and he is a fan.
I asked him what his favourite part was and he said the hippo hugging a baby crocodile. He couldn’t get past penguins can’t fly because one of the pictures at the end of the book shows a penguin diving from high ice that looks like perhaps it’s flying, but it’s really diving.
The book is for ages from 3 up and I think that UP is all the way up because it is quite humorous, as well as informative and cute. I don’t know that my littlest quite has the concentration span but the 4 year old may well wear it out.
The Penguins Are Coming takes place in a zoo, where all the animals are super excited about their new neighbours. Excited, even though none of them are quite sure what a penguin actually is, but that doesn’t stop them having an opinion.
The pictures are bright and interesting. The pages talking about baby penguins have a hippo snuggling a crocodile that my boy thought was awesome, it also has an elephant whose mother was a penguin… well I’d like to see that.
Both my son and I were amused by the farfetched opinions held about penguins, which are an animal we both love and my little guy saw up close when we were at the zoo earlier this year.
The best bit is that in the last couple of pages the zookeeper steps in to tell the animals that he’s an expert and he can tell them the truth about penguins, and proceeds to do just that.
Penguins are a fascinating creature and this vibrant and entertaining picture book helps youngsters learn about them. This is a book that delights before leaving with you the cold hard facts that make penguins unique.
In the opening pages it’s a squirrel that asks the ultimate question, What’s a Penguin? He then spends the book wandering through the zoo speaking to the animals and getting their thoughts.
The giraffe says they are small, round and sort of penguin-y. Honestly, how can you do better than that. McKinlay does do better than that as she talks about their migrating, eye-catching swimwear, diet and childcare habits. All of which are ridiculously over the top and beautifully illustrated by the talented Mark Jackson.
The Zookeeper then pipes in to tell us how it really is, but I’m not sure his penguins are in complete agreement.
Illustrations are quite eye-catching and I kept being interrupted by a chatterbox to tell me what he saw, maybe tomorrow we will read the pictures. Or I’ll let him read it to me.
The Penguins Are Coming is a great read for all ages and I think even my older two will get a kick out of reading this one aloud to the little one.
The Penguins are Coming is book #32 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2018.
Meg McKinlay can be found on Facebook and her Website.
The Penguins Are Coming is published by Walker Books Australia and is available now from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
Thanks to Walker Books Australia 20 of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading The Penguins are Coming and I look forward to hearing what they think.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
What a fabulous book The Penguins are Coming by Meg McKinlay and Mark Jackson is. Absolutely loved it.
There’s a buzz of excitement at the zoo because the penguins are coming, but … What Is A Penguin?
It’s clear that most of the animals have no idea at all what a penguin is, but that doesn’t stop them from authoritatively giving their views, views which are beautifully illustrated by Mark Jackson.
Eventually the zookeeper, who states he is an expert on penguins, steps in to clear the air and tell the other animals what penguins are really like.
But when the penguins arrive, we are left not so sure about who has some of the traits correct, the zookeeper, or the other animals..
With many thanks to Beauty and Lace and Walker Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. I think this is a fabulous book to read to younger children, and compare with the penguins they may have seen at the zoo, but is also a wonderful early reader for those in the first years of school as well as a book to encourage conversation by talking about what can be seen in the wonderful illustrations.
One of those books that you can read with children over and over and still get pleasure from. I give it 5 Stars.
The Penguins are Coming!
A beautifully animated and entertaining story.
The animals at the zoo excitedly wait and curiously wonder the arrival of the Penguins. But what is a Penguin exactly? With loads of humour and wild descriptive tales about Penguins this book will evoke many laughs while learning some fun facts about Penguins.
I had the pleasure of reading this book at Day Care to a group of children aged 2-8. The story was engaging, providing lots of group discussions. Anything that can encourage inquisitiveness and pique interest is a winner in my view.
I will happily recommend so thank you Beauty and Lace Book Club and Walker Books Australia for the reading and reviewing opportunity.
The Penguins are Coming is a
Beautifully illustrated children’s book. My 6 year old has read it many times and loves it. It’s a story about many different animals having their opinion on what penguins are really like, they let their imagination go wild which makes for a hilarious read! Great children’s book, definitely recommend it!
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