Baby Penguins Love Their Mama

PreS-K—Mama's many baby penguins watch and learn all week long as she models proper penguin behavior and teaches necessary skills. Her exuberant brood reassure her that she will always be their mama, no matter how big and skillful they get. This heartwarming family story is told in simple language, appropriate for a preschool read-aloud, while mixing in some harder vocabulary ("Thursday was preening practice. Nobody liked preening practice"). Guion's watercolor and pencil illustrations perfectly accompany the text, using icy blues and small splashes of color against crisp white backgrounds. The babies are full of personality, while the expression on Mama's face ranges from good-natured patience to a look during Saturday squawking that will be familiar to parents and teachers everywhere. Elementary schools and public libraries should add this lovely confection to their collections, especially where Guion's Baby Penguins Everywhere! (Philomel, 2012) is popular.—Rebecca Dash Donsky, New York Public Library