A Goofy Guide to Penguins (Toon Books Level 1)

The Coudray brothers offer two-panel, penguin-centric episodes that feel like a quirky string of "Why did the chicken cross the road?" jokes transplanted to an Antarctic setting. Two tiny penguins lurking in the margins do the asking and answering: "Why do penguins carve ice into bottles?" asks one, as a penguin uses an icicle to sculpt a large bottle of ice. "So they can serve drinks!" responds the other. Elsewhere, readers learn that penguins don't grow flowers because watering cans sprinkle snow and warming up with a radiator can lead to a fall through the ice. Philippe Coudray's polished cartoons are charming, though a repetitive sameness sets in, and the punch lines are hit or miss. Ages 5-up. (May)

K-Gr 1--Brightly colored two-panel comic strips highlight the appeal and innate comedy of look-alike penguins. The answers to silly questions (e.g., "How do penguins know they've reached the South Pole?") are more about fun than information ("Every sign points north."). A butter yellow sun--melting snow, ice, and penguin fat--highlights the black-and-white penguins in their shades-of-blue world. One penguin holds a yellow umbrella sideways to stay out of the sideways-falling rain, which looks like snow, even though it's dry as a desert in the South Pole. Goofy indeed, but luscious colors invite readers into each illustration.