Penguin by Polly Dunbar
| Penguin by Polly Dunbar | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: A story book with accompanying DVD which illustrates that silliness and aggression really don't pay. Gently told it's recommended by Bookbag. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 40 | Date: August 2007 |
| Publisher: Walker Books Ltd | |
| ISBN: 978-1406308365 | |
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The box was wrapped in white paper with red spots and tied up with red cord. When Ben opened it he found Penguin and he wanted him to speak, but Penguin remained silent. Invitations to play, tickling, pulling funny faces, doing silly dances all had the same result.
Penguin said nothing and did nothing. When Ben ignored Penguin, Penguin simply ignored him back. He was fired into space and finally offered to a passing lion, but still Penguin said nothing. Even the lion wasn't interested in eating Penguin. Finally Ben lost his temper and shouted at Penguin. If there was ever proof that shouting and losing your temper doesn't work then this was it.
Lion ate Ben for being too noisy.
Well, that finally provoked Penguin into doing something. I won't tell you what, but it did shock the lion, there was a happy ending and Penguin and Ben became best friends.
It's a lovely story, gently told. Polly Dunbar's muted pictures perfectly capture Ben's growing frustration with Penguin. His actions become more and more outrageous and his initial friendly approach degenerates into silliness and then into aggression as he prods Penguin and finally tries to feed him to the lion who doesn't look at all out of place despite being a rather unusual turquoise-blue and green. There's an underlying message that silliness and aggression don't work but it's delivered with a very light touch.
There's a DVD tucked inside the front slap of the book and although the running time of the animated story read by Emilia Fox is only four minutes it has the rhythm and surprise factor that means that it will be played again and again. You will tires of it before a young child does – I can promise you that.
I'd like to thank the lovely people at Walker Books for sending us a copy.
For more story books about Penguins we can recommend Blanche and Rocky by Stephen Gulbis but if lions are more your thing then why not try ROAR! by Margaret Mayo and Alex Ayliffe.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Penguin by Polly Dunbar at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Penguin by Polly Dunbar at Amazon.com.
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