Customer Reviews

Tacky and the Winter Games (Tacky the Penguin)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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"Tacky and the Winter Games" nails the difficult challenge of writing a truly funny kids' book; it's one of the funniest I've read in the last several years. Text and illustrations combine superbly to give a fully realized portrait of a Tacky and his wacky winter land. You and your young audience will enjoy both immensely; It's one of those rare books that adults will enjoy appreciate almost as much as kids.

The Modus Operandi here is depicting penguins--those lovable but waddly, often awkward looking mammals--training for a Winter Olympics type contest. For credibility, Lester presumes that most penguins might adapt well to winter sports, given sufficient training. However, Tacky is not "most" penguins: He combines a wonderfully comic combination of the sloth and gluttony of Garfield the cat with the wild abandon of Mr. Toad. Not for Tacky the rigors of training: Whereas his four teammates hike, do sit-ups, lift weights, bicycle, eat "special training meals" and keep "strict training hours," Tacky lays down in the snow, abandons the sit-ups, Mr. Toads it on his bicycle--sending his teammates scurrying for safety, feasts on pizza and donuts, and stays up late munching popcorn and watching TV.

The story opens up thematically and pictorially with the 2-page spread describing the Opening Ceremonies. Teams of other penguins come from the "Highlands," the "Lowlands," the "Fun Lands," and Tacky's own "Nice Icy Land." They all march with dignity--except for Tacky who falls on his head while carrying the 'Nice Icy' pennant. However, this episode gives observant readers some insight into his character: Although Tacky falls down, he manages to hold the flag aloft with his feet. Could there be something more to him than his clownishly lazy behavior suggests?

Well, sort of. His team wins the NO-bobsled race but is disqualified because they use Tacky as a bobsled. Penguin ski-jumping, as we all know, uses frozen fish for skis; Tacky's fish skis thaw when he chills (so to speak) by a pot-bellied stove before the race, and floppy fish make for funny aerodynamics. Finally, there's a relay race. The first four members of Team Nice Icy Land pass the baton neatly to each other, but when it's passed to the last skater, Tacky, he eats it! "Ate it? Ate it. Well, it looked like a hot dog." In frustration, his teammates chase him, and Tacky, thinking it's a game of tag "skated faster. And faster. And fasterandfaster and barreled across the finish line in record time." However, will a strict judge (wearing a button that says, "I rule") award them first place when the baton has disappeared? I'll only reveal that the resolution involves X-rays and that the four other penguins give Tacky a big hug. Lester concludes, "Tacky was an odd bird, but a nice bird to have around."

Just about everything here is perfect: The pacing, the funny and vividly colored illustrations that evoke place and person, the plot--which could have stopped much earlier but is well-developed but not long or meandering for its young audience. I'm surprised to see it so low on the Amazon.com sales list. I hope this is not indicative of its popularity. If so, Tacky and his crew deserve a much bigger audience.

Small simple story, excellent art work, funny...the kids love this one to the read to them and they do enjoy the rather good illustrations. I like reading this one to the class myself and probably enjoy it as much as the kids do. It is a rather off beat story featuring a rather off beat penguin - it is different. Overall, highly recommend this one.

I love Tacky the penquin. This book was great to read to my Kindergarten class during the Winter Olympics. We had a lot to talk about. Of course my children know Tacky from, "Tacky" and "Three Cheers for Tacky". These two books are at the top of my list for read alouds in my class. Classic favorites!

My five year old grandson loves penguins and has a great sense of humor. These books combine those two things and he loves them! The stories are not just fluffy and silly however. They do have little life lessons to teach. They are great books for kindergartner's and first graders who are learning to read and the illustrations are complex enough to hold a child's attention.

This was purchased as a gift for my wife, who is a big fan of the Tacky the Penguin books. Her elementary
school class enjoyed it, as they always do when the books are read aloud!

I have five Tacky books and we go through at least 3 every time my granddaughter comes. "Tacky is a strange bird, but a nice bird to have around."

"A-huff-and-puff-and-a-huff-and-puff-and-a-huff-and-puff. "WHAT'S HAPPENING?" blared Tacky the Penguin as he came across his companions Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect."

Tacky quickly learns his companions are training for the Winter games. They try to get him to work out as well and Tacky does in his own unique style.

Soon the games arrive, opening ceremonies and then the events.

His team handily wins the bobsledless race as they jump on Tacky and ride him to victory. But a judge calls them for riding a bobsled. Tacky tries to point out his is not one but they still get disqualified.

Next is the ski jumping event with frozen fish for skies. Tacky decides to toast his toes in a cabin but unfortunately he thaws his fish. He tries to jump and lands....several times.

Finally, it's the last event; speed skating. Everything is going well but when the baton is passed to Tacky; he eats it. Frustrated, his companions chase him. Tacky things it's a game of tag and races faster and faster. They win. But did they? They take him to x-ray and look for the baton. Point out the cobwebs in his head as it made my girl laugh.

They eventually are declared the winner and as always: Tacky was an odd bird, but a nice bird to have around.

Overall, it's a good story and well illustrated. However, I found my girl not liking this one as much.