Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-This child-friendly guide is set up as a series of don'ts and dos. Each vignette shows the repercussions of doing something thoughtlessly-jumping off a seesaw too quickly, climbing up a slide, kicking sand-followed by the proper way to play. Children can participate in the story by replying to the question asked at the end of each "don't"-"Is that right?"-with the refrain, "No, that's wrong," before Penguin explains the safe way to behave. The text is simple enough for beginners since the softly shaded, multimedia color illustrations provide excellent visual clues. The pictures are full of active animals under the watchful tutelage of whistle-wearing Penguin. A fun addition.-Maura Bresnahan, High Plain Elementary School, Andover, MA (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 Elephant plays on the seesaw, he should jump off quickly so that his friend bumps to the ground. THUD! Is that right?"" In this companion to Please Say Please! (rev. 5/04), Penguin, whistle in beak, referees the playground shenanigans. He gently corrects each animal's rule infraction: ""No, that's wrong. When Elephant plays on the seesaw, he should stay put until his friend climbs off."" The illustrations feature clean lines against white space, using bright colors not only for the playground equipment but also for some of the animals, such as a red rhino and a lavender hippo. In addition to having the rules of behavior reinforced, young listeners will be entertained by the ""accidents"" and resulting injuries. What's a visit to the playground without a good ""boink!"" on the head? (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
Penguin's second outing is all about playground safety, with a healthy dose of good manners and respect thrown in for good measure. From taking turns on equipment and sharing toys, to getting friends to play games and cleaning up when it's time to go home, Cuyler covers all the bases. Hillenbrand masterfully portrays facial expressions on his simple cartoon animals, making it clear to even the youngest of readers what the friends are feeling when the playground rules are broken. So expressive are his characters that the text does not spell out why the rule needs to be followed--youngsters can see the panic on Hippo's face when she is sliding down the slide and Bear starts to crawl up, for instance. Penguin's fans will be happy to learn that the author/illustrator team has kept the same format: A blatant wrongdoing is followed by the question, "Is that right?" A turn of the page, and likely a chorus from listeners, reveals, "No, that's wrong," while the text and illustrations demonstrate how to do things the right way. Required reading for parents and children alike. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
