Penguins 1-2-3

Clear, full-bleed photos of penguins illustrate simple concepts in a pair of board book primers by Kevin Schafer: Penguins ABC, an Antarctic look at the alphabet with a mix of simple words ("D is for Dive") and more complex terms ("C is for Chinstrap penguins"); and Penguins 123, in which readers count up to 12 with rhyming couplets astride the appropriate numbers of penguins swimming, sliding and posing. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

PreS-K-Bright, bold colors and impressive full-color photographs make these concept books stand out. In ABC, some letters stand for specific penguins ("C is for Chinstrap Penguins" and "E is for Emperor Penguins"). Others relate to their actions. ("H is for Hungry" shows a parent feeding its baby while "Q is for Quick" depicts several penguins running along the water's edge). A concluding "Fun Facts" section has an additional "A to Z" listing that gives more information. For example, the letter "P" stands for preen in the text, while in the fun facts section, readers learn what preen means, as well as additional information related to it. In 123, three-dimensional-looking numerals stand out against the crisp photographs, immediately grabbing readers' attention. Each spread features a full-page picture, a numeral, and a short rhyme ("Four penguins diving for their favorite dish. Not soup, not spaghetti-they really like fish!"). The final page, covered from edge to edge with the birds, will leave children with a grand challenge: "Can you count how many penguins you see? Are there twenty, or fifty, or a hundred and three?" Two attractive titles that will enhance concept-book collections.-Cathie Bashaw Morton, Somers Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.