Penguin: A Tilly and Friends Book

Penguin seems not to be able to talk. This won't surprise parents and other adult readers since he's a present in a box wrapped in polka dot paper. Ben, the recipient, rips off the paper, opens the box, and the action gets underway. "Hello Penguin" says Ben. That's when the problems start. Penguin, who looks like a fat tuxedoed bowling pin with undersized feet and an oversized beak, doesn't respond. Oh yeah. He also has a tail. It looks to be about the right size. Ben tries just about everything (including trying to feed Penguin to a passing lion) in the effort to elicit a response from his new friend. Nothing works. Finally, in sheer exasperation he shouts, "SAY SOMETHING!" This is when things spin out of control. Lion, who happens to be a shade of turquoise with a bright blue mane, is apparently startled by the loud noise and gobbles up Ben. After this, Lion looks quite contented, but suddenly Penguin looks mad. He glares at Lion, and then, most unexpectedly, bites him on the nose, securing Ben's release. This catharsis cures Penguin of his speech-impaired condition. He now waxes eloquent, in a rich and colorful pictorial language all his own. Polly Dunbar has written a delightful and very satisfying book, clearly deserving of its status as 2007 Booktrust Early Years Awards Winner (Pre-School Category).

Penguin is a delightful picture book that not only is likely to appeal to imaginative young children but also can shed some light for parents on the frustrations of early language development. Children whose language is still emerging can act the little boy in the story--or the penguin as they try to find the right words to say or to respond to someone else. One of the delights of the book is the way imaginative play is built right into the book as a toy lion turns ferocious and then is tamed again.

My almost 2 year old son loves this book and we read it day and night. The repetitive nature of the story gives him lots of opportunities to join in the reading plus he is able to act out the way the main character, Ben, interacts with his new penguin. It is always a lot of fun.

We've purchased about 30 books in the past 6 months for our 2-year-old and this is definitely one of the better books we've read. The illustrations are good (not-too-cluttered) and the language is age-appropriate for the 2 to 4 year old range. The book has continued to make both me and my wife smile even after multiple readings to our child.

I read this to my 2.5 year old last night (recommended reading after a bath, in jammies, snuggling outside) and she loved it. Although minimal in words, the pictures were very expressive, and my daughter could follow along easily. By the second reading, she told ME the story. Unlike the recommendation of starting with 4 year olds, definitely a hit with toddlers as well... although she didn't care for the brief appearance of the lion.