Puffin Peter

by Petr Horácek, Petr Horácek (Illustrator)

Overview

Kids will delight in this witty story of mistaken identity from acclaimed author-illustrator Petr Horácek.

Peter and Paul are puffins and the best of friends. But one day Peter gets lost in a terrible storm, and Paul is nowhere to be found. With the help of a big blue whale, Peter sets out, determined to find his pal. What the pair discovers is that many other birds match the description Peter gives of Paul, but none are quite like his friend. With gorgeous collage artwork and a lighthearted touch, this fun read-aloud tale will both amuse and enlighten.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536221176
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	06/15/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	26 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Petr Horacek grew up in Prague in the Czech Republic. Inspired by his two daughters, he has created numerous books for children, including One Spotted Giraffe, Silly Suzy Goose, and Strawberries Are Red. He lives in England.

I grew up in Prague in the Czech Republic. Just outside our flat there was a wood where I spent lots of time playing with friends. We would climb on piles of soil or build bunkers from forgotten builder’s materials. I always wanted to be an illustrator, but I preferred to look at the pictures inside the books rather than to read them. I would listen to the story or watch a film and then fill up my sketchbook with pictures and images from the story. I started to read books quite late, but I haven’t stopped since.

I studied at the Academy of Fine Art in Prague, where I painted and drew for six years. Some of my pictures were as big as a double bed! Every autumn the teachers drove us to the countryside, where they left us for a few weeks (once even a few months!) to paint and draw the landscape. Since then I have adored the autumn. One day an English girl named Claire came into my studio and before I knew it, I was living in England. We are married now and I love England, but it took me some time to learn English—in fact, I’m still learning.

My two daughters, Tereza and Cecilia, are the biggest inspiration for my work. I started to work on children’s books when Tereza was born. For my first books, Strawberries Are Red and What Is Black and White?, I received the Books for Children Newcomer Award in 2001. It was presented to me in a restaurant and we had a nice lunch. I still remember the lunch and I still have the trophy. I like doing novelty books best. I think it’s very exciting looking through the holes in the pages and seeing what will happen if I turn one more page!

Three Things You Might Not Know About Me:

1. I love children’s drawings.
2. I can’t spell—it’s rather embarrassing.
3. I like listening to radio plays.

Editorial Reviews

The tale of a puffin separated from his friend provides a stage for Horacek’s (Jonathan and Martha) intense colors and rich textures. The storm that separates Peter from Paul unfolds across four panels as the puffins are tossed by churning waves, the sky growing blacker and the water’s bluish-green deepening. After the storm, a whale rescues Peter and volunteers to find Paul, asking what he’s like. “Funny and noisy,” is Peter’s reply. The birds the whale finds—parrots on one island, penguins on another—fit the description, but they aren’t Paul. In a striking aerial spread, the whale swims toward some familiar-looking islands with Peter barely visible on his back. It’s Peter’s home, and Paul waits there. “Why didn’t you tell me?” the whale asks as the two birds greet each other joyfully. “Tell you what?” says Peter. “That he’s a puffin, just like you!” the whale replies. There’s a lighthearted lesson there about communication—what’s obvious to one person isn’t obvious to another—and excitement, too, in the great, reassuring presence of the whale as he guards Peter on his search. Ages 3–5. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Readers of all ages will swoon over Horácek’s lush, brightly colored mixed-media illustrations that lend life to the ocean, the different birds encountered, and Peter’s many emotions during his quest. This tale of friendship and perseverance is a must-have for public and school libraries alike.
—School Library Journal

[Horácek's] beautiful mixed-media illustrations have vibrant, bold colors and simple shapes that will appeal to young listeners and also provide a few basic lessons on ocean life. A sweet tale of friendship and persistence.
—Kirkus Reviews

The tale of a puffin separated from his friend provides a stage for Horacek’s intense colors and rich textures...There’s a lighthearted lesson there about communication—what’s obvious to one person isn’t obvious to another—and excitement, too.
—Publishers Weekly

Rough strokes and washes of color create a powerful sense of the oceans, beaches, jungles, and skies and present multihued and appealing characters, filling in the story told by the very simple prose...Very young audiences will feel the suspense and relief of finding a lost pal and will enjoy this short and colorful diversion.
—Booklist

The short, streamlined text and large, bold illustrations increase this title’s value for group storytimes as well. Multiple layers and shadings of color give Horácek’s mixed media art a textured and dramatic fresco-like flair... The separated friends story, vibrant illustrations, and casual introduction to simple deductive reasoning will make this a hit with the preschool crowd.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Full of bright color, Petr Horacek's PUFFIN PETER, with a gratifying, age-appropriate revelation, will resonate with the 2- to 5-year-old reading public.
—The Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher

PreS-Gr 1—When two puffin friends are separated in a big storm, Peter is rescued by a friendly blue whale that ferries him to visit different birds in search of Paul. Each miss prompts Peter to add to his pal's description, leading to a satisfying reunion. The short, simple sentences and phrase repetition in this build-up story encourage audience participation, making this book a perfect choice for sharing with the preschool storytime crowd; the vocabulary, large print, and placement of the text on solid backgrounds also allow for solo use for beginning readers. Peter's youthful description of his best friend-"funny and noisy"-will resonate with young children, many of whom have a similar friend. Readers of all ages will swoon over Horácek's lush, brightly colored mixed-media illustrations that lend life to the ocean, the different birds encountered, and Peter's many emotions during his quest. This tale of friendship and perseverance is a must-have for public and school libraries alike.—Rebecca Dash Donsky, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

When a storm separates two best friends, the other sea creatures step in to try and facilitate a reunion. Puffin pals Peter and Paul look identical, from multicolored beaks to brilliant blue tail feathers. One day, when they're diving, a storm comes up, blowing Peter out to sea and separating him from Paul. Just when Peter is wondering where he is, an enormous blue whale shows up to carry him safely to shore and to Paul. Based on Peter's incomplete descriptions of Paul, the whale takes him to funny and noisy parrots, black-and-white penguins, and a toucan with a colorful beak that dwarfs Peter's, in turn--but not to Paul. What to do? Peter becomes very sad, but the whale lets him ride again, and they drift on the open sea for days. Finally, in the distance, they see...a black-and-white figure...with a colorful beak...very noisy...it's Paul! Both friends are overjoyed, and the wise whale points out what's been obvious to the reader: "He's...just like you!" Horácek's story is a bit of a jumble, but his beautiful mixed-media illustrations have vibrant, bold colors and simple shapes that will appeal to young listeners and also provide a few basic lessons on ocean life. A sweet tale of friendship and persistence. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews