Please Say Please! Penguin's Guide to Manners [Hardcover]

Margery Cuyler (Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

Rollicking text and a mischievous crew of playful animal guests make for an irresistible first guide to manners.

Penguin is having a party, and his nine adorable animal guests aren't sure about their manners. When Lion is served cauliflower, he says, "I hate cauliflower. EW!" Is that right? No, he should say, "I'll try some. MMM, NOT BAD!" From one silly incident to another, Hippo, Elephant, et al learn where to put your napkin (not on your head), how to sip your milk (not spray it), and when to tell a joke (NOT when your mouth is full!). Proper Penguin's patience is sorely tried, but by the time they say good-bye, his young guests have even learned to say, "Thank you!" Is that right? Yes, that's right!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-This delightful book reinforces polite behavior by showing what not to do. Brightly colored animal friends come to Penguin's house for dinner. They have terrible table manners, and the playful text asks young listeners to consider their conduct. For instance, "When it's time for a bear to eat, she should grab her spoon and throw it across the room.… Is that right? No, that's wrong.… she should use her spoon to taste her honey." Penguin always steers his guests in the right direction, and the silliness of the characters' antics will appeal to children. The pen-and-ink and crayon drawings are crisp and clear, and show lots of action. Perfect for storytime, this offering will also be a favorite with parents, proving that learning manners can be fun.-Janet M. Bair, Trumbull Library, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-K. This jovial guide to manners may not tame wild young beasts, but it will have preschoolers giggling to see bears throwing spoons, chimps grabbing, and giraffes burping at Penguin's house. Cuyler introduces basic party etiquette in a question-and-answer format: "When a hippo sits down for dinner, she should put her napkin on her head. HOW PRETTY! Is that right?" By the time the page is turned, the hippo is back on track: "No, that's wrong. When a hippo sits down for dinner, she should lay her napkin on her lap. THAT'S BETTER!" Poor Penguin, complete with a small, white bowtie for extra primness, must witness further behavioral atrocities, but by the conclusion the newly enlightened menagerie is merrily on its way--with a thank-you and a come back soon. Hillenbrand's simple, comical illustrations harness the messy chaos (and flying food) of childhood with bold black lines and plenty of good humor. Karin Snelson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590292242
• ISBN-13: 978-0590292245
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #542,764 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on manners, December 16, 2005

By 

A. Davis "Mom2threeunder4" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Please Say Please! Penguin's Guide to Manners (Hardcover)

My two four year old boys love this book! We have read it over and over. They love that the book asks silly questions about bad manners and enjoy saying, 'No, that's not right!'; then they tell what the animal guests should correctly do as dinner guests. They have learned a great deal about manners from this book as is evidenced by their discussions when we are having guests for dinner. Its a great book with a good message.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Learning good manners can be fun!", May 24, 2005

By 

tappinlisa (Montebello, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Please Say Please! Penguin's Guide to Manners (Hardcover)

Tired of nagging your child about manners? Get this adorable book for a little change of pace.

Simply drawn, brightly colored illustrations show various animals with typical little kid table manners. (My favorite: "When an elephant drinks milk at mealtime, he should spray it all over the table. SPLAT! Is that right?") Turn the page to see and read the corresponding good manners. ("No, that's wrong. When an elephant drinks milk at mealtime, he should sip it quietly, a few gallons at a time. SSSSSIP!")

This book makes an amusing read-aloud; in addition to the humor of both text and illustrations, your child can join in on the repeated "Is that right? No, that's wrong" following each example of rudeness. Only you know your children well enough to assess the probability that they will find the bad manners funnier and more memorable than the good! But after reading this book, you can remind them to wash their hooves before dinner or not to burp like giraffe.

Now if only the creators of this book would make a revised edition including slouching at the dinner table....

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My kids love it!, January 11, 2007

By 

Lough "Constant Reader" (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Please Say Please! Penguin's Guide to Manners (Hardcover)

It's cute and funny. It asks questions about manners and of course the answer is always, "NO, THAT'S WRONG!" and the kids love yelling that out. Great book, great illustrations, too!