Tacky in Trouble (Tacky the Penguin) [Hardcover]

Helen Lester (Author), Lynn Munsinger (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Tacky the Penguin

Tacky the penguin goes windsurfing and ends up on a tropical island, captive to an elephant who, upon seeing Tacky's floral Hawaiian shirt, mistakes him for a bouquet of flowers. The elephant thinks that Tacky would make a pretty centerpiece, so she arranges him in a vase and sets him on her table. Tacky is going to have to use all of his best penguin moves to get himself out of this hilarious jungle mix-up. Tacky's fans are sure to delight in the show. Only the team of Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger could pull off a tale of such far-fetched adventure. They are masters at the art of creating silly stories and beloved characters that make children laugh out loud. This latest tale about Tacky will be a hard one to keep on the shelves.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2ATacky the Penguin (Houghton, 1988) stars in another adventure. While he is surfing, Tacky's brightly flowered shirt catches a gust of wind, and, after many days, he finds himself on a tropical island. There, he encounters a large gray rock that turns out to be an elephant. The elephant mistakes Tacky for a bouquet of blossoms just right for his table. To escape, Tacky must prove that he really is a bird by doing "something penguinish." He marches, dives, slides, and hops across the food-filled table with a bit too much vigor and ruins the elephant's tablecloth. The penguin's luck holds, however, and the elephant loves his colorful new tablecloth. With snacks and three kisses, Tacky returns home where he is welcomed as "an odd bird, a nice bird to have around." The story will appeal to children who know that making a mess can cause trouble. The soft, watercolor illustrations and simple story line make this a good choice for reading aloud.AMarty Abbott Goodman, L.J. Bell Elementary School, Rockingham, NC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-6. Fans of previous adventures of the spunky little penguin will welcome this latest, which is probably Tacky's goofiest escapade yet. While his boring fellow penguins nap comfortably atop their iceberg, Tacky takes off on a solitary ice-surfing expedition, landing on a tropical isle. An elephant mistakes his billowing flowered shirt for a bouquet and takes Tacky home to dress up her dreary kitchen table. Convincing the deluded elephant that he's a penguin not a posy takes some doing, but Tacky finally manages it with his usual relish, leaving behind with his hostess a colorful reminder of his unexpected visit. The illustrations will sell the story. Stephanie Zvirin

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (April 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395861136
• ISBN-13: 978-0395861134
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #823,101 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Helen Lester has published The Wizard, the Fairy, and the Magic Chicken in 1983, in collabroation with Lynn Munsinger. They have also worked together on the hilarious Tacky the Penguin series and many other wildly funny and popular titles, including the award-winning Hooway for Wodney Wat. Helen Lester is a full-time writer who makes her home in Pawling, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tacky in Trouble, April 6, 2000

By 

Susan Wester (Livermore, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tacky in Trouble (Tacky the Penguin) (Hardcover)

A very fun read with your child. Tacky the penguin goes ice surfing and lands in Africa, where he meets an elephant. Tacky and his new friend have a fun filled dinner time adventure while Tacky tries to prove that he is really a penguin and not a bouquet of flowers! My children and I both got a big laugh out of this book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great story, terrible kindle version, June 8, 2011

By 

D. Martz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tacky in Trouble (Tacky the Penguin) (Kindle Edition)

My kids love the tacky series, it's the kindle versions that suck. Yes, they suck. The images are photocopies of the printed book (small font text and all). Often the images do not even line up with the words. They spent as little time on layout as possible for this version of the book.

There are some tacky kindle books that are good, but this one is not. Buy the printed book instead.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This one really hits the "it's good to be different" message in the right way, April 3, 2009

By 

Ulyyf "Connie" (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tacky in Trouble (Tacky the Penguin) (Paperback)

I really like this one.

Tacky, being different from the other penguins, decides to go surfing while they nap. And he ends up in Africa, where he's promptly picked up as an elephant who thinks he's a bouquet! Naturally, his odd behavior saves the day and he ends up home.

What I love about this book is that the other penguins are clearly shown missing him while he's gone, not because he's useful to him (as so often is the storyline), but because he's Tacky.