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Saturday, July 16, 2016

A Goofy Guide to Penguins, by written by Jean-Luc Coudray and illustrated by Philippe Coudray. A Toon Book. Publishers Group Canada. 2016. $16.95 ages 4 and up

"How do penguins know
that they have reached the
South Pole?

Penguins don't travel much
in the winter ...
... or in the summer."

In goofy graphics, the author proposes questions about penguins in hopes that we will learn a great deal about them. What happens, in fact, is that we get even goofier answers than the posed questions themselves.

"Why is it so cold at the South Pole?

To make penguins stick together!"

The two part illustrations show penguins scattered all around the ice in the first, while the second shows them huddled together as we so often see them. The sight gags shown on every page will have readers hooting at their antics. The penguins wear mittens, stand in front of heaters that melt the snow and result in their falling into ice holes, stand on the ice rather than lie down in a snowstorm to keep the snow solely on their heads, rather than accumulating on their entire body, check directional markers so that they know they have finally found the South Pole ... the goofiness just amps up!

After convincing ourselves that we now know nothing important about these tuxedoed inhabitants of cold southern climes, the writers provide AMAZING BUT TRUE: 100% GENUINE, REAL FACTS ABOUT PENGUINS! in back matter, as well a list of further resources. 

"Why do penguins carve ice into bottles?

So they can serve drinks!"
                                                                      

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