Mr. Penguin and the Fortress of Secrets

by Alex T. Smith

Overview

Dashing detective Mr. Penguin and his Adventuring gang are in for a wild ride after they crash-land on a snow-drenched mountain. From Alex T. Smith's delightfully illustrated, mystery-detective series.

After escaping a plane wreckage unscathed, Mr. Penguin and his kung fu spider sidekick, discover strange noises coming from an old, ruined fortress nearby. New friends, twins Dieter and Liesel, are convinced it's related to the pets in their village going missing.

When one of Mr. Penguin's pals disappears in the middle of the night, the gang leaps into action and unveils an evil hypnotist's plan to take over the world. Can Mr. Penguin foil this perilous plot and get home in time for a fish finger sandwich?

Alex T. Smith's Mr. Penguin is a page-turning, illustrated middle grade series that is sure to thrill young readers looking for a good adventure and major laughs. Two color illustrations throughout.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682631959
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Series:	Mr. Penguin Series , #2
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	631,564
Product dimensions:	5.56(w) x 8.42(h) x 0.68(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Alex T. Smith briefly considered careers in space travel, cookery and being a rabbit, but finally decided to become an illustrator. He earned a first-class honors degree in Illustration from Coventry University and went on to create the award-winning Claude series which has been developed as an animated TV show. When he isn't doodling in his sketchbook, Alex can be found people-watching and eavesdropping. He lives in England with two very tiny and naughty dogs.

Editorial Reviews

"Mr. Penguin's second caper is as silly as the first. . . Fans will be happy more adventures are in the offing." —Kirkus Reviews

★ "The book's clever plot twists will surprise and delight young readers... Stylish and intricate drawings. . . a rollicking caper." —Foreword Reviews, Starred Review

"Smith delivers a peppy mystery brimming with absurdity and laughs, suspenseful moments, and detailed two-tone illustrations. The idiosyncratic crew has more heart than talent, which results in some genuinely funny moments. . . Hero and villain tropes give the entire adventure the feel of a well-crafted cartoon episode, and kids will eagerly stay tuned." —Booklist Online

From the Publisher

2019-06-23
Mr. Penguin and his intrepid band face adventure once more following series opener Mr. Penguin and the Lost Treasure (2019).

Adventurer Mr. Penguin is once again joined by Colin the kung fu spider, the handy Edith Hedge (a human with an elastic definition of borrowing), and silent pigeon Gordon on a mysterious mission. While attempting to recover the Enigma Stone for Professor Stout-Girdle, the group crash-lands their—urm, borrowed plane on a mountaintop near the tiny snowbound town of Schneedorf-on-the-Peak. Siblings Dieter and Lisle Strudel rescue them from a certain snowy demise and then ask their assistance. There are strange goings-on in the village (all the rodents are vanishing), and the abandoned fortress built by Grandfather Grimm has suddenly come back to life. Can the two occurrences be connected? Can the adventurers and their new kid friends find and rescue the rodents of the town in time for the 32nd International Rodent Games? Who is Dr. Mesmero, and what is her diabolical plan? And will Mr. Penguin ever see Cityville again…or get another fish finger sandwich? Mr. Penguin's second caper is as silly as the first, and as disappointing in its casting of the only apparent human of color—Edith—as a thief. Pages from Dr. Mesmero's journal, black-and-white illustrations with pops of orange, and occasional orange pages break up the short chapters.

Fans will be happy more adventures are in the offing. (Adventure. 6-11)

Kirkus Reviews