Penguin is a 2007 award-winning children's picture book by Polly Dunbar. It is about a boy who receives a penguin as a present and how they interact.

Penguin
AuthorPolly Dunbar
IllustratorPolly Dunbar
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's
PublisherWalker Books
Publication date
4 June 2007
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Pagesunpaginated (32)
ISBN978-1-84428-065-0
OCLC85691861

Reception

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Penguin has been favourably reviewed, with Kirkus Reviews writing: "Visually, Ben’s contortions and Lion’s aplomb hearken back to early Sendak. While it’s at first unclear whether the immutable Penguin is a stuffed toy, a pet or something else entirely, kids will know—by story’s end at the very latest—that this bird’s a friend. An attractively designed, child-appealing package.".[1] Publishers Weekly found Dunbar’s "winsome mixed media illustrations carry the day in a story that pulls a few punches on readers",[2] while Common Sense Media described it as a "charming, whimsical boy-meets-bird tale."[3]

Penguin has been translated into many different languages. It has stood the test of time, with Walker Books publishing a 10th anniversary edition in 2017.[4]

Awards

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Penguin won the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Silver Award,[5] the Red House Children's Book Award for Younger Children[6] and a Booktrust Early Years Award.[7] It was also shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal,[8] and was selected by The Sunday Times as one of the best books of 2007 for children 0 to 3 year olds.[9]

Adaption

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Penguin has been adapted for the stage, has played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival[10] and received positive reviews.[11][12]

References

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  1. ^ "Penguin". www.kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Media LLC. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  2. ^ "Penguin". www.publishersweekly.com. PWxyz LLC. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  3. ^ "Penguin". www.commonsensemedia.org. Common Sense Media Inc. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  4. ^ "Walker Books - Penguin: 10th Anniversary edition". Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  5. ^ Nestlé Children's Book Prize Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Red House Children's Book Award
  7. ^ Booktrust Early Years Awards
  8. ^ The CILIP Carnegie Medal & Kate Greenaway Children's Book Awards
  9. ^ The Sunday Times best books of 2007: children from The Sunday Times
  10. ^ "Penguin brings interactive puppetry to the Fringe". www.edinburghfestival.list.co.uk. The List Ltd. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Long Nose Puppets present Penguin". www.dlwp.com. de la warr pavilion. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  12. ^ Laura Gooch (23 December 2014). "Penguin, Komedia, Gardner Street, Brighton, until Sunday, January 4, call ..." The Argus. Retrieved 14 September 2015.