Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Jose Aruego (Illustrator), Ariane Dewey (Illustrator) "I'm almost hatched!..." (more)
Key Phrases: little penguins

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Judy Sierra, author of the well-loved picture books Counting Crocodiles and The House That Drac Built, delights young readers again, this time paying poetic tribute to the distinguished-yet-waddling emperor penguin of icy Antarctica. Comical, cartoonish paintings by accomplished illustrators (and penguin lovers) Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey combined with Sierra's lively poems will have your favorite kids giggling and, perhaps, wanting a pet baby penguin of their own!

Youngsters will dive, swim, and glide through playful poems such as "My Father's Feet," which begins: "To keep myself up on the ice,/I find my father's feet are nice./I snuggle in his belly fluff,/And that's how I stay warm enough." "Penguin's Swim" starts, "Ten little penguins all in a line--/One jumps in and now there are nine./Nine little penguins, how they hesitate--/One tumbles in and now there are eight." Sierra's poems are based on the lives and habits of emperor penguins, so your kids will learn about life in the Antarctic from a penguin's perspective. This book is as irresistible as the fish-slurping, huddling, fidgeting, waddling, ker-plopping penguins themselves! (Ideal for reading aloud, but perfect for early readers ages 4 to 8.)

From Publishers Weekly

With winter still lingering, a listen to Antarctic Antics may be in order. This CD recording contains jaunty songs from the Weston Woods video adaptation of Judy Sierra's 1998 picture book of penguin poems (illus. by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey) as well as Sierra's narration of 12 of the poems.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (March 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152010068
• ISBN-13: 978-0152021146
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #325,676 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Cute!, October 5, 1998

By A Customer

I realize at the age of 14, I should probably be looking for books at a higher reading level. But I'm crazy about Penguins, so the book Antarctic Antics caught my eye. Though the actual poetry is a bit juvenile sounding, it's acually very educational and intertaining. Plus the pictures are ADORABLE! This is an excellent book, and my kid sister agrees!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for kids of all ages, March 10, 2002

By	J. Gwen Ingram (Dexter, OR USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

An adult friend recommended this book to me (also an adult), figuring that I'd enjoy anything containing a poem titled "Regurgitate." She was right, and I found the rest of the book well-written and well-crafted, full of similar humor and the kind of realism-in-viewpoint that is sometimes (too often) lacking in books that feature animals. The illustrations are also excellent. I'm told that children do enjoy this book, but it's also captivated many of my adult friends ... including one woman to whom I presented a copy for her 55th birthday. Quality shines through any good work, and that's definitely true of "Antarctic Antics."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poems About Penguins., May 6, 2004

By	tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

First of all, I love this book because I love penguins. However, as a piece of children's literature, it's so much more. This is an excellent example of how literature (poetry) and science can go hand and hand. There are some poems in this book that seem written just for fun, (e.g. "Be My Penguin"). However, most of the poems in this book are written about and around actual behaviors that penguins exhibit: from regurgiating their food to feed the young ("Regurgitate") to the motherly instincts of father penguins ("A Hatchling's Song" and "My Father's Feet") to poetic riddles about penguin predators (sea lion, killer whale). The book is charming, easy to read, and full of delightful penguin illustrations. A great gift for any child interesting in science or literature or anyone who (like me) just loves penguins.