Review by Booklist Review
Biologist and nature photographer Bishop offers close-up views of penguins in a nonfiction picture book (albeit one with a light, fictional framework). A southern rockhopper penguin baby is hungry. Mama penguin goes off to hunt, leaving him in the care of his papa. The text traces the mother's trek down to the sea, where she and her companions dive in and devour fish and krill before rinsing off and heading homeward. Meanwhile, the little penguin looks for his friends, who are too sleepy to play. He wanders away, and just as a predatory skua swoops down on him, his father intervenes and saves the baby. Soon the family is reunited. The text serves to stitch together a narrative that becomes more vivid in the clearly reproduced, beautifully composed, and decidedly eye-catching color photos. The simple layout, with black pages carrying the text in large, white type, provides an effective setting for the photos. Libraries may want multiple copies of this visually enticing book to help satisfy the seasonal demand for penguin books accessible to preschool classes.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wildlife photographer Bishop (Chasing Cheetahs) builds a story around a colony of rockhopper penguins in Antarctica, focusing on a chick and its parents (the photographs actually feature several penguin families, an endnote explains). Life is uncertain for both the chick and its mother, who treks with other adult penguins to the sea to catch food for their families. Orcas and sea lions threaten the safety of the mother penguin while, back home, a predatory skua swoops down on the baby: "But papa penguin saves the day! He frightens off the skua. Now baby penguin is safe." Concise sentences make the penguins' habits and threats readily discernible to even very young readers, and Bishop's photos, although sometimes awkwardly incorporated into the pages, offer a strikingly intimate look at these distinctive flightless birds, particularly as the adults take to the sea. Ages 4-8. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Striking full-color photographs accompany simple text describing a day in the life of a penguin family. Pictured are the small rockhopper penguins of the Antarctic with their distinctive orange beaks and amusing head feathers. Baby penguin is hungry for breakfast, and Mama, with her many companions, must venture into the sea to hunt for food. The journey is arduous, and the ocean is filled with predators, but the stalwart penguins find safety in numbers and return to the colony with a meal for their babies. In the meantime, Papa penguin must guard his offspring against a hungry skua also looking to feed her young. The emphasis on family will appeal to young readers, who will not object to the minor anthropomorphizing of the penguin colony. The author's note includes some additional facts and identifies the various penguins from the colony that were depicted in the photographs. VERDICT Sure to be a hit with penguin-crazy youngsters, this will make a fine addition to units on animal families and a solid classroom or library read-aloud.-Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY © Copyright 2017. 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 Kirkus Book Review
Close-up color photos invite viewers to join a family of rockhopper penguins on its daily round.Bishop's brief accompanying commentary gives the day a distinct but not misleading anthropomorphic cast. While "papa penguin" stays behind to watch the chick, "mama" joins a rush of feathered commuters who scamper over hills and down cliffs to dive into the sea after fish and krill. Meanwhile, after waddling away to "visit some friends," the chick is saved by papa from a predatory skua. At last, mama returns to regurgitate dinner, and then it's time to nod off: "Sleep tight, baby penguin." The photos center on the fluffy gray chick and its photogenic parents, with their bright orange beaks and distinctive feathery tufts above each eye (various rockhoppers served as subjects, according to a note). The penguins' food and the natural hazards of their Antarctic environment are mentionedboth in the narrative and, in more detail, at the endbut not depicted. The family dynamic may seem familiar to many young readers and listenersand the regurgitation bit should stimulate some lively audience response. (Informational picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
