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Summary
Summary
Perfect for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day . . . or any day!
When you're a mama penguin with lots (and lots) of little ones to take care of, the days can melt together in a blur. Monday: swimming lessons. Tuesday: sliding. Wednesday: waddling. And on and on. Mama loves her babies so much. Do they know, she wonders, just how much?
As it turns out, they do--because they love her just as much! And to show it, they surprise her with a thoughtful gesture of their own on Sunday.
In her companion to Baby Penguins Everywhere! , Melissa Guion offers another adorable book for sharing between mother and child. A perfect Valentine's Day, Mother's Day--or any day--gift for the person who is always there for us.
Author Notes
Author-illustrator Melissa Guion grew up in West Caldwell, New Jersey, and Baltimore, Maryland. Her first picture book, Baby Penguins Everywhere! , was selected for The Original Art 2012 by the Society of Illustrators. Melissa is also a writer for Tom Tom , the world's only magazine dedicated to female drummers. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit Melissa Guion at www.melissaguion.com and follow her on Twitter @MelissaGuion.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-Mama's many baby penguins watch and learn all week long as she models proper penguin behavior and teaches necessary skills. Her exuberant brood reassure her that she will always be their mama, no matter how big and skillful they get. This heartwarming family story is told in simple language, appropriate for a preschool read-aloud, while mixing in some harder vocabulary ("Thursday was preening practice. Nobody liked preening practice"). Guion's watercolor and pencil illustrations perfectly accompany the text, using icy blues and small splashes of color against crisp white backgrounds. The babies are full of personality, while the expression on Mama's face ranges from good-natured patience to a look during Saturday squawking that will be familiar to parents and teachers everywhere. Elementary schools and public libraries should add this lovely confection to their collections, especially where Guion's Baby Penguins Everywhere! (Philomel, 2012) is popular.-Rebecca Dash Donsky, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Guion follows her 2012 debut, Baby Penguins Everywhere!, with another reminder that being a mama, penguin or otherwise, can be exhausting at times. The book takes readers through the large penguin family's busy week, from swimming and sliding lessons on Monday and Tuesday to Friday fishing. "And everyone loved Saturday squawking!" writes Guion of the weekend, though Mama's pinched facial expression tells another story. Sunday is a much-needed day of rest, but Guion's quietly humorous writing and soft watercolors make it clear that, more than anything, Mama penguin is proud of her babies and their accomplishments. Ages 3-5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Mama Penguin and her young chicks' weekly routine includes lessons in swimming, sliding, waddling, preening, fishing, and squawking; busy Mama rests on Sunday. It's all harder than it seems, but soon they'll be "even better" than Mama--what will she do then? (The answer is quite sweet.) Delicate watercolor and pencil illustrations against a white background convey the simple story's icy setting. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Mama Penguin loves her babies, but keeping up with all of their activities has her plain worn out. Playing the part of a contemporary soccer mom, Mama Penguin is "very busy taking care of everybody." Subsequent pages reveal swimming, sliding and waddling lessons, which are then followed by preening practice and fishing. By the time the last activity arrives, a picture of a beleaguered-looking Mama seems to contradict the accompanying text: "And everyone loved Saturday squawking!" In fact, Mama takes a much-needed nap in a spread depicting her prostrate on the ground with one eye closed and a single baby penguin standing watchfully nearby. The text then assures readers that Mama, now refreshed, is very proud of her babies, and she muses about how one day they'll be able to do all the things they're learning as well as she can. "Maybe even better," one of the babies pipes up; the sweetness of the accompanying picture mitigates the line's snarky tone. At this point, however, the story loses its steam as Mama wonders what will become of her once her offspring are independent, and the baby penguins reassure her that she will simply "be our Mama!" Despite the undeniable focus on the adult in the story, the uncluttered, whimsical watercolors are inviting to child readers throughout. A sweet, if uneven, penguin picture book. (Picture book. 3-5)]]]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Mama Penguin and her waddle of baby penguins are always busy, with classes every day of the week: swimming on Monday, sliding on Tuesday, preening on Thursday. A mother's job is never done, until Sunday, that is, when she gets to take a long nap. Mama Penguin is proud of her diligent brood, and she looks forward to the day when they are as adept at penguin skills as she is. When one suggests that they might eventually be better than she is, this leaves her at a loss. What will her purpose be then? The answer is cute and heartfelt, and it will be much appreciated on Mother's Day. Guion's companion to Baby Penguins Everywhere! (2012) has a message that should resonate with parents who find themselves at the mercy of their children's busy schedules. Although the penguins are rendered in blacks and grays, the watercolors stand out against the copious white space (courtesy of Antarctica), in a style reminiscent of Oliver Jeffers. Because of the many baby penguins, there is lots to notice in the illustrations. A sweet book with broad appeal.--Dean, Kara Copyright 2014 Booklist