My grandchildren find this their favorite chapter book. They never tire of cuddling up with Grandma and Pengey.
In part, the attraction to this story is the wholesome hero's journey at its core, because Pengey,although greatly disadvantaged by his tiny stature and enormous challenges he faces, remains intelligent, humble, polite, and undaunted by his troubles.
We learn from the simple tenacity of Pengey Penguin that success does not come in a lump sum ,but that added together increments of small successes make even the toughest goal achievable.
Some of the most amazing things about this story are that it reveals its wisdoms effortlessly, without a hint of preachy-ness. It is refreshing by way of the new characters and clever personalities that populate the story. It's exciting and funny by way of Pengey's varied adventures; some of which are hair raising and others that are simply hilarious. And it's lastly adorable by way of one of the greatest children's characters you'll ever meet. Pengey Penguin is simply a charismatic wonder.
And so, what we have is a book that is a marvelous fairy tale. It reflects the trials and tribulations of life through the eyes and experiences of an extremely responsible little boy portrayed as an orphaned baby penguin. All Pengey wants to do is find his way back to that place that we are all most loved, a place called home.
While I read this book, I thought of someone back in the 1930's who did something similar with a cartoon character he created. Both he and the author of Pengey Penguin did something unique in the world of storytelling...--they created a wholesome character that is, without a shadow of a doubt, worth caring about. Perhaps author, John Burns is the next Walt Disney.