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Pierre the Penguin

by Jean Marzollo
32p. 978-1-58536-485-5.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—Stories don't come any sweeter than this. Pierre the penguin lives at the California Academy of Sciences. Being an African penguin, he prefers warmer climates. For some reason (it's not clear why), he loses his feathers and thus will not swim because he is too cold. In addition, the other penguins are afraid of him and bray at him. Pam, his caring handler, designs a neoprene wetsuit that keeps him warm when swimming. Over time, his feathers grow back, and the story ends with Pierre making a "nest for his very best friend." Regan's realistic paintings work well with the text and enhance the drama and appeal of the storytelling. The book concludes with "Questions from Kids with Answers from Pam." They include "What is neoprene?" and "How many kinds of penguins are there?" This is an excellent book to share with children as it offers multiple discussion points and curriculum connections.—Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL
African penguin Pierre's feathers are falling out, making him a social outcast and leery of swimming in the cold water at the museum where he lives. Aquatic biologist Pam comes up with the solution while walking her raincoat-wearing dog: a wetsuit. The story, based on real events, is interesting, but the touch-and-go rhymes are painful and the too-large typeface diminishes the capable paintings.
Reviewed by Stephanie Farnlacher , Aug 01, 2010

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