Pink! (Hardcover)

~ Lynne Rickards (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Patrick the penguin awakens one morning to find he's inexplicably turned pink from head to foot. Boys can't be pink! he declares in all-capital letters. The doctor has no explanation (none is ever offered), but Patrick's dad points out that flamingos in Africa are pink and at least half are boys. Tired of being teased, Patrick swims to Africa and tries, unsuccessfully, to fit in with the friendly flamingos. Returning home, he is welcomed and respected for his adventure, and happily resigns himself to being forever pink: Being different wasn't so bad after all. Although Chamberlain's comical illustrations suit the exclamatory tone of the text, the book is loud and busy. Blurring a retro message about gender coding with a lesson about difference, the story fails to inspire sympathy for Patrick or offer solace to kids who might share Patrick's feelings. Design choices don't help; the erratic placement of text turns many pages into a jumble of words fighting for space with the images. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)
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From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—One day, Patrick the penguin wakes up pink. When his classmates make fun of him, he swims to Africa to meet the flamingos. But he doesn't fit in there either, so he heads home. His friends are impressed with his journey and happy to see him, prompting him to decide that his mom was right—being different is not so bad. This rehashing of the theme of accepting one's differences includes humor, but Patrick's classmates' turnaround is a bit facile, and nothing is truly new here. Charmberlain's bright cartoon illustrations are reminiscent of Mary Murphy's work, although somewhat more detailed. Patrick is, well, very pink, with his feet an impressive shade of fuchsia. While the text is set in a typeface that can be hard to decipher at times, the story reads aloud smoothly and reflects a childlike sensibility. However, some literal-minded youngsters may want a bit more explanation for why the penguin became pink and whether or not he will stay that way. For another take on accepting differences that includes flamingos, pick up a copy of Ellen Stoll Walsh's For Pete's Sake (Harcourt, 1998).—Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: The Chicken House (January 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545086086
• ISBN-13: 978-0545086080
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #434,259 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pink Perfection, December 8, 2008

By	Steven R. McEvoy "MCWPP" (Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a fantastic book about being different and being accepted. It is the story of Patrick the penguin who wakes up one day and has turned pink. He finds it hard being a pink penguin so goes in search of other pink birds, specifically flamingos in Africa, but he finds out he fits in even less there. So he returns home to Antarctica and discovers that being different is not so bad after all.

I was originally attracted by the hilarious cover of this book, and both the story and illustrations are wonderful. It is one of those fun books to read and look at. I think it would be fun to share with most children, and they will learn a lesson from it also. Pink! is an excellent read.