Title: A Penguin Story Picture
Books
Genre: A Penguin Story (Portis,
2009) is a very good example of a picture book, one with a story and
interesting characters, but where the illustrations – and here specifically the
colors of the illustrations – take center stage, with a level of detail that is
easy to miss at first glance.
Book Summary: This book is a charming and cute story about a
penguin wondering if there is anything in the world that isn’t white, black, or
blue, and her journey to find out, at last coming across a scientific
expedition filled with orange things, which she shares with her flock.
Impressions: A Penguin Story
is simplistic on the surface – most of the book is done in three colors, white,
black, and blue, with orange (or any other color really) being the quest of the
main character. Despite the limited palate the illustrations are detailed and
pretty, of particular note the page with the few words ‘Blue, blue, blue.
Forever.’ with a vast sea beyond the white cliffs, in a very deep blue speckled
with lighter blue throughout. Aside from the story itself, it is a useful and
thought provoking look into what we see around us, and what other colors there
are out there. Depending on where the reader is, it could start a hunt for what
colors are rare in their surroundings – browns in the city, while (as an
example) out at the family ranch brown is everywhere and more vibrant colors
like orange or purple absent. Whatever the local colors, the book is sure to
make the attentive reader stop and really look at their surroundings again,
rather than just recognizing them.
Professional Review: From Publishers Weekly (2017)
Edna the penguin yearns for something more stimulating than a minimalist horizon. The endless white of snow and ice, the black of the night sky and the “Blue, blue, blue. Forever” of the sky and ocean only increase her ennui. Readers know alternatives exist because a sunset-orange seaplane goes by when Edna’s back is turned; brilliant green and orange endpapers, too, contrast with the limited palette and blocky compositions. Edna treks over icebergs to a revelatory destination, then brings her brood to meet a friendly human expedition camping in ambulance-orange domes and wearing matching jumpsuits; she proudly waddles home with a souvenir orange rubber glove. Portis (Not a Box ) celebrates those who long for art and, with her own playful rendering, she inspires readers to celebrate, too. Ages 4–8.
Library Uses: A Penguin Story would be very useful in a storytime setting,
especially ones with themes of color, animals, or winter, and would also be
useful for an art program, specifically one challenging the participants to
make a painting with only a few base colors and shades thereof.
Readalikes: A Book With No
Pictures could be an interesting comparison book, playing off of the mostly
limited palate of A Penguin Book in
an even more severe way. 365 Penguins
is another fun book featuring penguins, and even a similar black, white, and
orange color scheme, though is more about math than colors. Penguin and Pumpkin (along with others
of the series) is another fun and pretty book about adventurous penguins seeking
something beyond the ice – in this case, Fall.
References
Portis, A. (2009).
A Penguin Story. New York, NY: HarperCollins
Children’s Books.
Publishers Weekly. (2017). A Penguin
Story. [Review of the book A Penguin
Story]. PWxyz, LLC. Retrieved
from https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-145688-6
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