Pink! [Hardcover]

Lynne Rickards (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2009 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

What's a penguin to do when he turns a really rosy hue? Ends up friendship's not just black and white: Being hot pink is pretty cool!

When Patrick wakes up one day to find he has inexplicably turned bright pink, he sees red: "Whoever heard of a pink penguin?" he cries. "And boys can't be pink!" After too much teasing, he's had enough. "I don't fit in here anymore," he tells his parents. "I'm going to Africa to see the flamingos." But poor Patrick doesn't fit in with them, either: He can't stand on one leg, skim the water for food, or fly off with the rest of the flock. So he returns home--and everyone is happy to see him! In fact, his friends are green with envy over his exotic trip. Ends up being hot pink is pretty cool!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Patrick the penguin awakens one morning to find he's inexplicably turned pink from head to foot. Boys can't be pink! he declares in all-capital letters. The doctor has no explanation (none is ever offered), but Patrick's dad points out that flamingos in Africa are pink and at least half are boys. Tired of being teased, Patrick swims to Africa and tries, unsuccessfully, to fit in with the friendly flamingos. Returning home, he is welcomed and respected for his adventure, and happily resigns himself to being forever pink: Being different wasn't so bad after all. Although Chamberlain's comical illustrations suit the exclamatory tone of the text, the book is loud and busy. Blurring a retro message about gender coding with a lesson about difference, the story fails to inspire sympathy for Patrick or offer solace to kids who might share Patrick's feelings. Design choices don't help; the erratic placement of text turns many pages into a jumble of words fighting for space with the images. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)
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From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—One day, Patrick the penguin wakes up pink. When his classmates make fun of him, he swims to Africa to meet the flamingos. But he doesn't fit in there either, so he heads home. His friends are impressed with his journey and happy to see him, prompting him to decide that his mom was right—being different is not so bad. This rehashing of the theme of accepting one's differences includes humor, but Patrick's classmates' turnaround is a bit facile, and nothing is truly new here. Charmberlain's bright cartoon illustrations are reminiscent of Mary Murphy's work, although somewhat more detailed. Patrick is, well, very pink, with his feet an impressive shade of fuchsia. While the text is set in a typeface that can be hard to decipher at times, the story reads aloud smoothly and reflects a childlike sensibility. However, some literal-minded youngsters may want a bit more explanation for why the penguin became pink and whether or not he will stay that way. For another take on accepting differences that includes flamingos, pick up a copy of Ellen Stoll Walsh's For Pete's Sake (Harcourt, 1998).—Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: The Chicken House (January 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545086086
• ISBN-13: 978-0545086080
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,596 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pink Perfection, December 8, 2008

By 

Steven R. McEvoy "MCWPP" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pink! (Hardcover)

This is a fantastic book about being different and being accepted. It is the story of Patrick the penguin who wakes up one day and has turned pink. He finds it hard being a pink penguin so goes in search of other pink birds, specifically flamingos in Africa, but he finds out he fits in even less there. So he returns home to Antarctica and discovers that being different is not so bad after all.

I was originally attracted by the hilarious cover of this book, and both the story and illustrations are wonderful. It is one of those fun books to read and look at. I think it would be fun to share with most children, and they will learn a lesson from it also. Pink! is an excellent read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What an amazing story!, October 8, 2010

By 

Bridget W. (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pink! (Hardcover)

This story is absolutely wonderful and adorable! The illustrations are eye-catching, and the characters are very relatable! Thanks, Lynne Rickards, for creating such a touching story that my pink-loving little guy enjoys so much.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Its about penguins so we like it, but its not great, April 15, 2010

By 

Sarah Green (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pink! (Hardcover)

My daughter LOVES penguins so we had to buy this, but its not our favorite.

The basic plot is that a boy penguin wakes up one day and finds he's pink. His friends make fun of him. So he runs away from home to join some flamingos, but realizes he doesn't fit in there either. So he goes home and gives a report at school talking about his trip (which apparently makes him the cool kid). Then everything is ok.

The basic message is that it is ok to be different. The story feels a little forced and could be more concise or maybe funnier (or both). The first time my husband and I read it to the kids we weren't impressed, but both kids seem to find it funny that the penguin is pink (they may be too young to really get the rest of the story).

this is an ok book if you're looking for something that talks about having it be ok to be different, but its not a great penguin book (the main character could easily be a duck or a chicken or a wombat instead). For penguin books, we like A Penguin Story a lot better.