Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World [Hardcover]

H. A. Rey (Author), Margret Rey (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Whiteblack the Penguin is worried. He has run out of stories for his radio show, a dire situation for the Chief Storyteller of Penguinland. So Whiteblack decides to travel in search of new tales to share. The result is a journey that spans the globe and not only introduces the precocious penguin to a host of colorful characters but teaches him about the power of friendship and what it means to be a hero. Originally created in 1937, while the Reys lived in Paris, this delightful story is being published for the first time, and is sure to enchant readers young and old. From the creators of Curious George, Whiteblack the Penguin Sees The World is a timeless tale with all the hilarity and childlike sense of adventure characteristic of the Reys’ previous work.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Ah, the dreaded storyteller's block. Whiteblack the penguin, Chief Storyteller of Penguinland's W-O-N-S radio station, has run out of material. "I guess I'll take a vacation and travel," he decides. "Travelers always have lots of stories." And off Whiteblack goes, on the journey of a lifetime. Before the trip is over, this intrepid traveler has been shipwrecked on an iceberg ("I've always wanted to be in an accident"), been shot out of a cannon, acted as midwife to two hatching ostriches, crossed the desert--partway on a camel and the rest on a homemade scooter, and fallen out of an airplane, only to land in a fishnet. With plenty of new stories to share, Whiteblack returns to a hero's welcome in Penguinland.

Well-loved for their Curious George stories, Margret and H. A. Rey teamed up on many other picture books over their lifetime together. But little did the reading world know, yet another marvelous book lay fallow in their files for over 60 years. Its discovery, after Margret Rey's death in 1998, is a blessing for the countless fans of this incredible creative pair. Whiteblack is a charming and positive fellow, a worthy model for any world traveler. Margret Rey believed Whiteblack was one of H. A.'s and her best books--and we concur. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

This buoyant book, as publisher Anita Silvey explains in an afterward, appears in print for the first time, 63 years after its conception by the Reys, who strapped itDalong with Curious GeorgeDonto the back of a bicycle as they peddled out of Paris hours before the Nazi army's invasion. Whiteblack, the Chief Storyteller for Penguinland's radio station, has run out of stories. He decides that traveling will provide him with new material and takes off in a handmade canoe. Though the penguin runs into trouble, he maintains a chipper attitude. When he wrecks his boat on an iceberg, for instance, he wryly observes, "I hate to lose my boat but at least this is a story for my radio show. Besides, I've always wanted to be in an accident." His string of adventures not only provide him fodder for his program, but also fulfill a raft of other dreams (e.g., "Besides, I've always wanted to ride on a camel," he quips when offered a lift across the desert). As resourceful as he is resilient, Whiteblack, in a final heroic act, slips off a fishing boat, dragging behind him a net with "mountains of fish" for his pals; they erect a snow sculpture in his honor ("And since in Penguinland the snow never melts, the monument is still there. You can go yourself and see it"). Matching the droll pitch of the narrative, H.A. Rey's whimsical watercolors stylistically recall those that illustrate the Curious George oeuvre; a decidedly curious penguin, Whiteblack makes a most worthy companion for George. A preponderance of George's sunny yellow lights up many scenes, and the penguin apes human postures and emotions nearly as well as the famous chimp. Readers will reach the last page wishing for a secret cache of sequels. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books (August 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618073892
• ISBN-13: 978-0618073894
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #386,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars worth the money, October 4, 2000

By 

Ms. H. Young "hkyoung" (Oxford, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (Hardcover)

This book is a delight to read no matter what age you are. The story is fun and imaginative and the illustrations are great! I was also happy to find that the cloth bound book has a very cute metalic embossed penguin hiding under the jacket. So even after the jacket wears out the book will be uniquely identifiable.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All in a day's work! Whiteblack the eternal optimist!, October 2, 2000

By 

Jill Hyman (Pembroke Pines, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (Hardcover)

Whiteblack is a wonderful story tinkering on the verge of suspense thriller. Learn how one little penguin gets himself into one "pickle" after another, only to turn the most dismal of situations into an uplifting, optimistic learning experience. What will happen next! Somehow Whiteblack teaches us how to see the brighter side of life as he crashes, explodes, kicks, skates, flys and swims into one adventure after another, meeting new friends and exchanging the gift of friendship along the way. Everything about this book is simply marvelous!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lost classic, found!!, May 23, 2001

By 

Chess Heart "paxbear" (Canton, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World (Hardcover)

Whiteblack the penguin hosts a radio program for everyone in Penguinland. He's the resident storyteller and is well liked and admired because of his marvelous stories. However, eventually he runs out of stories to tell!! Thinking that an adventure would give him new ideas, he and his friends construct a boat, give him some rope, and send him on his way to adventure. What adventures he has! His boat is struck by an iceberg, he hitches a ride on a Navy warship, manages to get shot from one of it's cannons, helps baby ostriches to hatch and even crosses the desert on a roller skate! Whiteblack is delightfully cheery at every turn, changing what otherwise might be a total disaster into yet another tale for his radio show. "Besides," he says as his boat sinks down out of sight, "I've always wanted to be in an accident!" Talk about the power of positive thinking!! The Rey's are, of course, most famous for their creation of the Curious George books. This work was originally written in 1937 when Mr. Hans Rey was working at a Paris World Fair booth across from a penguin exhibit. Somehow, though, it never made publication and was merely mothballed in a trunk before the Rey's left Paris. Discovered 63 years later and published in the year 2000, Whiteblack is immediately identifiable as a work of the Rey's. The yellows of the book are the exact same as those we're used to in the Curious George series. The same thick outlines and comfortable, fun illustrations are here as well, including what looks very much like a cameo appearance by the Man in the Yellow Hat!! The book concludes with a brief history of the Rey's and the fortuitous discovery of the long-forgotten Whiteblack manuscript. The book is wonderful fun in both it's text and illustrations. The crazy adventures Whiteblack gets himself into and his cheerful outlook on life ("besides, I've always wanted to fly" he says to himself after being shot out of the Navy cannon) will delight children of all ages. Whether you're a fan of Curious George or merely love fun children's stories, "Whiteblack the Penguin..." is an excellent story and a definite to add to your collection!!