Penguins!

by Gail Gibbons

Overview

An illustrated introduction to those wonderful waddling water birds!

Living only in the southern hemisphere, there are seventeen different kinds of penguins.  With bright watercolor illustrations and kid-friendly language, Gail Gibbons introduces these black and white birds, describing where and how they live, what they eat, and how they hatch their young.  

An exploration of the egg-laying and chick-raising habits of the emperor penguin is also included, describing how these large penguins take care of their babies in extremely cold temperatures, working together to look after one large egg at a time.

Readers will also learn about threats to penguin populations, and what conservation efforts have been made to help preserve them.  A collection of penguin facts is also included.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780823415168
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	01/01/1998
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	102,866
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.10(d)
Lexile:	740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

According to The Washington Post, Gail Gibbons "has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator."  Ms. Gibbons has published more than 100 informational titles, including the bestselling titles From Seed to Plant and Monarch Butterflies, all fully vetted by experts. Her many honors include the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award and the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book Award.  She lives in Vermont.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2-4-Another in the parade of books from Gibbons's busy pen and paintbrush, this one deals with those fascinating denizens of the Southern Hemisphere. The simply written, clear text describes penguin physiology, geographic location (via a color-coded map), lifestyles, and nesting/brooding habits (with an emphasis on emperor penguins). It concludes with a discussion of survival difficulties and efforts being made to protect these birds. A final page gives some statistics and drawings of the five species not shown elsewhere in the book. The full-color illustrations are sketchbook style and some children may find it difficult to differentiate among the various crested varieties, while the little blue penguin is shown as blue all over (despite assurance in the text that "All penguins have...white bellies."). The oversized format, brightly colored illustrations, and large type font result in an eye-catching appearance that will attract young researchers and the curious minded alike. Even if you already own Bobbie Kalman's Penguins (Crabtree, 1995) or Annette Barkhausen's Penguins (Gareth Stevens, 1994), you should make room for this title.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

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