Little Benguin

K-Gr 2—The child of a penguin and a bunny, Little Benguin doesn't feel like he fits in anywhere. Though his parents "loved their child just the way he was," they "worried about his social life." Bullied and excluded from playing with other animals, he longs to be "normal." When a wolf shows up looking for his next meal, Benguin uses both his special bunny running skills and his superb penguin swimming skills to escape and defeat the wolf. His former tormentors hold a party in honor of the "unique and wonderful and amazing Little Benguin," and he meets the love of his life, a turtle. Though Spagnol's illustrations are endearing and her message a valuable one, the execution is heavy-handed and unlikely to resonate with her intended audience. The contrived conflict and unrealistic resolution add little to the already impressive catalog of subtle and empowering picture books about being different and the issue of bullying.—Jenna Boles, Greene County Public Library, Beavercreek, OH