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Penguin Fun and Children's Books
Peter the Penguin is the foremost Children's book on penguins - see review below - purchase your copy here.
Some brief notes on the booksPeter the PenguinIf you only buy one penguin book make sure it is this one - you can buy online here Phil Whittington is a penguin biologist, originally from the UK but who has spent the last 6 years or so researching the African penguins in South Africa. In this book Phil describes life from the viewpoint of "Peter" the penguin hero of the story. What makes this book so good is that it is so completely accurate in every detail. The reader really feels they get to understand life from a Penguin's perspective. Phil wrote the original few chapters just for fun for a newsletter published by the Avian Demography Unit - where he was studying for his doctorate. This made Peter famous with all penguin biologists. So when the Treasure oil spill happened, a penguin that was trans-located from Robben Island to Port Elizabeth (see here for facts about this) was equipped with a special transmitter so that its progress home could be monitored. When it was finally released, members of the press asked "What is the penguin called?" and the reply from Leshia (another penguin biologist) was an instant "Peter". Thus Peter became an overnight celebrity as his travels home were followed on the internet by millions around the world. Phil then decided (or was persuaded - depending on your viewpoint) to write more chapters and bring Peter the Penguin to life in a proper book. One example of Phil's insistence on accuracy is that the Peter in the stories has a different flipper band number from the Peter who was released - this is because in the story Peter is fitted with his flipper band well before the Treasure spill happened and the number on the band of the real Peter penguin was only issued at the time of the spill - there are probably only about 10 penguin biologists around the world who could spot the difference, but Phil is one of them!
Penguins Penguins, Dennis Traut, Penguin (1982)A really fun little cartoon book. Every penguin lover should have a copy. The Penguins are Coming, R L Penney, Worlds Work Ltd. (1970)This is a children's book by Penney who worked with penguins and wrote several serious books. The result is a wonderfully illustrated and accurate little book about penguins for young children. The Penguin Family Book, L Sømme & S Kallas, North South Books (1988)Another good fact book for youngsters. This one is illustrated with lots of photos, mostly of chinstrap penguins. The Pirate Penguin, Young World Productions (1972)A silly little child's book, the sort of thing some of our friends find it amusing to give us as presents - we don't mind though if it's about penguins. The Penguin and the Vacuum Cleaner, C Sloane, Puffin Books (1974)Another story book, not too bad. Cinderella Penguin, J Perlman, Kids Can Press Ltd (1992)A rather sillier story book for young penguin fans. Fred's Pyramid, S Moskowitz, Simon and Schuster (1982)This is more like it. The story may be silly but the cartoons are well drawn and quite amusing in a silly sort of way. I Love Ten Little Penguins: A Pop-up Counting Book, Jane Walker , Bantam Doubleday Dell/Transworld Publ. (1994).This is a cute counting story with the penguins "disappearing" one by one until the end. It is also the only penguin pop-up I have found so far. Tacky the Penguin Helen Lester; illus. by Lynn Munsinger Houghton Mifflin(1988).Tacky is a rather eccentric penguin who refuses to be a conformist as he feels the other penguins are. In the end the penguins find out that Tacky's different way of doing things can actually come in handy. |
