Penguin's Big Adventure

June 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Yoon's latest entry in her series has the protagonist setting a goal-to be the first penguin at the North Pole. Map in hand, pack on back, and his neck cozied with his signature orange scarf, Penguin sets off, but not before Yoon hints at the surprise ending by showing his penguin friends busy sewing, weaving, and braiding toward their own world records. As he makes his way north, Penguin enjoys visits with characters from his previous books and finally arrives at the top of the world. But after the initial excitement of meeting his goal, he finds the North Pole desolate and lonely, and with the appearance of a polar bear, maybe even dangerous. Their first anxious meeting becomes a sweet friendship until Penguin's busy friends appear to bring him home in a hot air balloon...the fruit of their earlier labors. The Photoshop drawings resemble woodcuts, outlined in heavy black and brightly colored. Yoon manages to create visual dynamism despite the illustrations' static simplicity by changing the page layouts to include spreads with horizon lines, framed tableaux, sequenced action, and thought bubbles. The simple narrative offers an opportunity for prediction and allows for text-to-self connections at a very basic level. VERDICT A solid addition to picture book collections.-Lisa Lehmuller, East Providence School District, RI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2015
Another adventure starring Yoon's small penguin with the big orange scarf (Penguin and Pumpkin, 2014, etc.). Penguin wants to be the first penguin to set foot on the otherwise penguinless North Pole. Slinging on his backpack, he heads north. On the way, he passes several friends making things that gain greater significance later in the book: a large colorful quilt, a big basket, and a very long rope. He bypasses them all, intent on his quest. When he finally gets to the North Pole, he finds there are no other penguins, only a cute polar bear cub with whom he shares some adventures riding on a whale, building ice forts, and exploring the Arctic Sea. The purpose of the earlier activities of his penguin friends becomes apparent when they swoop down in a stylish hot air balloon and carry him back to their Antarctic home. Yoon's bold, black-outlined, vividly colored illustrations compensate somewhat for the weak, unimaginative storyline. This lack of depth is due in part to the fact that some key details can only be understood with knowledge of previous books in the series. Readers who don't know that Penguin is an avid knitter or that he made friends with a pine cone and a crab in previous outings will be mystified by these references, since their appearances in this story do not support the plot. Slight and self-referential, this is not one of Penguin's more memorable adventures. (Picture book. 3-6)

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July 1, 2016
Penguin is on the move again in his fifth outing. Here, he makes a solo trek to the North Pole. He meets Polar Bear, and after clearing up some minor cultural misunderstandings, the two become good friends. And speaking of, Penguin's Antarctic friends miss him and arrive via hot-air balloon to bring him home. Yoon's friendly illustrations invite arm-chair explorers to join the adventure.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)