Reggie: Kid Penguin (A Graphic Novel)

by Jen de Oliveira

Overview

Fans of Babymouse and Owly will love this early graphic novel series about the everyday adventures and high jinks of Reginald “Reggie” Guinn, a little kid penguin with a big personality!
 
Reggie is just like any other kid: always looking for fun and adventure! But Reggie’s curious, playful side sometimes gets him into trouble. Like when he tries to give himself a haircut before picture day…and ends up gluing his feathers back on his head! Or when he sneaks a mouthful of cookie dough from the kitchen…then feels the sun baking cookies in his tummy! Or when his babysitter puts him on a kid leash while they walk to the park…and he rebels by acting like a dog!

Reggie: Kid Penguin is a collection of six silly stories that explore kid-friendly themes, all through the eyes of a lovable, spunky penguin.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759557567
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	06/06/2023
Series:	Reggie , #1
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	484,268
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jen de Oliveira is a writer, cartoonist, and elementary school teacher from the Bay Area, California. She is the creator of the all-ages webcomic Reggie and the cocreator of Sunday Haha, a free weekly comics newsletter for kids. Reggie: Kid Penguin is her graphic novel debut. She invites you to visit her online at reggiecomic.com or follow her on Instagram and Twitter @jendeoart.

Editorial Reviews

Junior Library Guild selection
An ALA Best Graphic Novels for Children Reading List Pick
A CBC Children's Favorite

“Everyone is going to love Reggie, a creative kid with a lot of heart!"—Mika Song, Eisner Award–nominated creator of Donut Feed the Squirrels

A Junior Library Guild Selection

“A wacky and weirdly wise series of scenarios solved with comical kid logic.”—Kirkus

“[Reggie] traverses through the short stories in this graphic collection with all the wiseacre personality and flailing energy of Mo Willems’s Pigeon.… A rib-tickling title that will give the younger elementary set a character to call their own from the graphic novel shelves.”—School Library Journal

"A comic that’s easy to read but that also shows a keen attunement to kids’ interests and thought processes."—Horn Book

From the Publisher

2023-03-29
A webcomic-turned–graphic novel about a youngster exploring his world.

Reggie, an anthropomorphic penguin living in the suburbs, has all the familiar idiosyncrasies that make young children both charming and baffling. He finds hilariously imperfect—yet ultimately successful—ways to solve kid problems like a too-drippy popsicle (letting it melt into his hat and then slurping up the “grape-sicle soup!”) or the dreaded toddler leash (running around on all fours like a dog makes it a much more fun experience), and his zany energy enlivens a text that treads comfortable ground for young readers. On school picture day, he gives himself an impromptu haircut before trying to glue the snippets back on, setting into motion a cascade of calamity that ends in him donning a cowboy hat atop a glue-y mess. In another story, he collaborates with friends to create a city for roly-polies during recess. When the roly-polies reject their efforts, their teacher suggests that they relocate their construction to better suit the bugs’ chosen habitat, with great success. Reggie’s editorial interludes between stories offer more opportunity to connect with this charming character. A cursory cast of animal folks include a fox, bear, and goat; some readers may be a bit confused when Reggie mimics a dog (do pets exist in this world?). Expressive cartoons in muted primary colors keep the story moving at a steady pace.

A wacky and weirdly wise series of scenarios solved with comical kid logic. (Graphic early reader. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

05/01/2023

Gr 1–3—Reggie is the spunky hero of this likely series-starter. A penguin of indeterminate age, he traverses through the short stories in this graphic collection with all the wiseacre personality and flailing energy of Mo Willems's Pigeon. We see him suffer the indignities of itchy sweaters on picture days and leashed backpacks on trips to the park, but he counters these obstacles with slapstick ingenuity (acting like a dog) and ineptitude (reattaching hair to his scalp with glue). The traditional narratives are broken up by one-page segments called "A Word from the Bird" where Reggie directly addresses readers. Amidst the inanity of Reggie eating raw cookie dough and slurping popsicle soup, there are moments of sweetness. "Roly-Polies" is a funny albeit tender look at the games children play and how they reckon with the greater world around them. Oliveira's clean illustrative style and madcap pacing call to mind programming from Cartoon Network, a vibe that primary readers will undoubtedly enjoy. Reggie himself seems like a character destined for stardom; his further adventures, be it page or screen, remain highly anticipated. VERDICT A rib-tickling title that will give the younger elementary set a character to call their own from the graphic novel shelves. Recommended.—Jose Cruz

School Library Journal