Review by Booklist Review
PreS-K. This jovial guide to manners may not tame wild young beasts, but it will have preschoolers giggling to see bears throwing spoons, chimps grabbing, and giraffes burping at Penguin's house. Cuyler introduces basic party etiquette in a question-and-answer format: When a hippo sits down for dinner, she should put her napkin on her head. HOW PRETTY! Is that right? By the time the page is turned, the hippo is back on track: No, that's wrong. When a hippo sits down for dinner, she should lay her napkin on her lap. THAT'S BETTER! Poor Penguin, complete with a small, white bowtie for extra primness, must witness further behavioral atrocities, but by the conclusion the newly enlightened menagerie is merrily on its way--with a thank-you and a come back soon. Hillenbrand's simple, comical illustrations harness the messy chaos (and flying food) of childhood with bold black lines and plenty of good humor. --Karin Snelson Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Penguin wants to be a gracious dinner host he's even perfectly dressed for the part but he has some of the most uncouth acquaintances in the entire animal world. Pig wipes his muddy hooves on the tablecloth ("Oh. Yuck!"), Elephant sprays milk through his trunk ("Splat!") and Giraffe engages in extreme burping ("Bur-r-r-r-r-r-r-p!"). "Is that right?" asks Cuyler (previously paired with Hillenbrand for The Biggest Best Snowman), after each faux pas (which include both individual and group gaffes). "No, that's wrong," she explains, and then rewinds the tape, so to speak, and shows what happens when some basic painless etiquette is applied to each situation. Giraffe, for example, can't totally suppress her burp, but she does manage to cover her mouth and minimize the volume, which prompts Penguin to clap his hands. Hillenbrand matches Cuyler's simple, crisp text by filling in his bold ink outlines with softly textured watercolors, streamlining the characters' distinguishing features and giving them a doodle-like spontaneity. By sticking with the same straight-on perspective of Penguin's long dining room table throughout the book, the illustrator stages a veritable smorgasbord of rotten manners. As in many such books, however, the good behavior wins the approval, but the bad behavior supplies the fun. Ages 3-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-This delightful book reinforces polite behavior by showing what not to do. Brightly colored animal friends come to Penguin's house for dinner. They have terrible table manners, and the playful text asks young listeners to consider their conduct. For instance, "When it's time for a bear to eat, she should grab her spoon and throw it across the room.- Is that right? No, that's wrong.- she should use her spoon to taste her honey." Penguin always steers his guests in the right direction, and the silliness of the characters' antics will appeal to children. The pen-and-ink and crayon drawings are crisp and clear, and show lots of action. Perfect for storytime, this offering will also be a favorite with parents, proving that learning manners can be fun.-Janet M. Bair, Trumbull Library, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Preschool) ""When an elephant drinks milk at mealtime, he should spray it all over the table. SPLAT! Is that right?"" Readers will gleefully chime in with the chorus of ""No, that's wrong"" to this and the other facetious questions posed in Cuyler and Hillenbrand's playful etiquette lesson. A lively group of animals--large, friendly-looking figures colored with ink and crayon--arrives at Penguin's house for dinner, and the text solicits opinions on how they should behave. An elephant should sip his milk quietly, of course, ""a few gallons at a time""; and instead of getting all grabby and shouting, ""GIMME, GIMME!"" a chimpanzee should say, ""Please pass the bananas."" A natural read-aloud, with a generous helping of onomatopoeia, this is one dinner party that will leave participants begging for more--using polite, inside voices, of course. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The table manners of Penguin's dinner guests are under scrutiny in this delightful look at mealtime behavior. Penguin has invited his friends to his house for dinner. Do they barge in without knocking? No! They need to knock first and wait to be greeted. Pig learns that the tablecloth is not for cleaning hooves; those should be washed before he comes to the table. "I hate cauliflower. Ew!" is not an appropriate response when offered something. Instead, try a little bit; it might become a favorite. Covering most of the common toddler and preschool misbehaviors, from burping and using a napkin, to talking with a full mouth and using utensils, this is a must for all parents struggling with the table antics of their small children. Hillenbrand's double-page spreads are simple; outlines and basic colors make it easy to identify the animals and scene, but do not detract from the focus: mealtime behaviors. A must for every children's library--and for the frustrated parents of young ones. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
