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I'm really excited by all the new (and new to me) books I've found about them! There are so many I've broken them out into categories (insert a happy book dance right here)!
These are my current picks for the youngest crowd:
10 Little Penguins is too darned cute! I love the thicker pages - this book is going to be read over and over again, so I'm glad it's sturdy! Kate Toms has done an awesome job with the simple rhyming text, but what blows me away is the illustrations. Every picture is a fabric collage, with a little ribbon and felt thrown in for good measure. I found myself running my hands over each page as if to touch the fabric. Add in the counting down element of the story, and you have a winning book for young children!
I had a delightful surprise when I opened Flora and the Penguin by Molly Idle - it's a wordless picture book with flaps on each page, and it is wonderful! Readers (children!) must narrate the story for themselves by reading the pictures - and that makes my teacher heart sing. By looking closely at the pictures and talking about what they see, children learn that good readers use the clues in the pictures as they read, and they gain confidence in their ability to enjoy books, even before they can read them for themselves. Wordless books are so good for building narrative skills - story telling - and for promoting book talk between parent and child. If you love this one, be sure to check out the rest of the series too!
Cuddle up with your favorite little ones to read I Am Small by Emma Dodd. The lovely illustrations and simple text make it clear what all the adjectives mean (deep, long, far, high, etc.) and the touch of silver on most pages will enchant both adults and children. If your children aren't already in your lap when you start this book, they will be when you read the last page, snuggles are required!
There's always room on the bookshelf for a sweet getting ready for bed book! While the focus of this book is not on the penguins - there are animal parents and babies on each page - you're not likely to make it through this one without a few snuggles, kisses, belly rubs and other loving gestures. Save Maybe, My Baby for last if you're looking to calm your little ones down for sleep.
Of all the books so far, this one is my favorite! Britta Teckentrup includes flaps on each page to illustrate all the opposites in the book - pause and let your children predict what's behind each flap as you journey with little penguin to see his friend. This one is perfect for a classroom or story time setting - pair the book with colorful scarves so children can act out the opposite pairs. Don't have scarves? Try giving students a piece of tissue paper or even a tissue - these quiet props won't interrupt the story, but will let children move about and act out the concepts in Up & Down.
If you're looking for some simple penguin activities to follow up these books, you may like this rhyme, book and finger puppets I put together - you can check it out here or watch the song on youtube.com here!
I also found lots of books for slightly older children, the preschool and kindergarten crowd:
If you're looking for some silliness (and when are preschoolers not?) I'd like to introduce you to Chongo Chingi the penguin in Penguin Dreams. He dreams about flying, but doesn't limit himself to flying like other birds do, he dreams higher and higher to outer space! The illustrations are bright and busy, with lots to keep your little ones interested. I'd recommend this for a parent or caregiver rather than a large group, so children can be close and see the pictures.
Penguin Problems by Jory John and illustrated by Lane Smith is cute and fun! Did you spot the odd penguin out on the cover? Can you imagine what kind of problems penguins might have ? The narrator of this book is a little penguin with some big problems! Everyone looks the same to him, there are things in the ocean, he can't fly. He's pretty sure his life is rough. If your children are having a rough day and need a little attitude adjustment, they're going to love this book!
This is a cute story about friendship, a toy penguin, and a lion, and I found the ending quite unexpected. Penguin by Polly Dunbar is not too long, not too short, and will appeal to adults almost as much as their children. If you're like me and always looking for an excuse to read children's books, grab a child and read this one - you're almost guaranteed to hear, "Read it again!"
Do you love the Pebble books for young children? Oh my goodness! They combine simple text and beautiful close up photographs to teach children, and I can't recommend them highly enough! Every primary classroom should have some of these books, I haven't yet met one I wasn't impressed with!
The true story of two male chinstrap penguins living in the Central Park Zoo, and tango makes three explains how Roy and Silo became dads when a zookeeper gave them an egg that would not have otherwise been hatched. You could use this book to talk about non-traditional families, or just enjoy the sweet story.
A Penguin Story is about Edna, a penguin who thinks there has to be more to the world than the black, white and blue she's used to seeing. This book lends itself to a color story time, but I included it for slightly older children because it also lends itself to learning about scientists learning about penguins. If you're teaching and learning about penguins, do your students ever wonder how we know about arctic and antarctic animals? If you have any deep thinkers in your group, they're going to appreciate this book in ways the rest of the class might not, and the same can be said for your young artists.
To make it easy to differentiate for my students, I've made tangram puzzles that include both the shape outlines (for matching size, shape and orientation), and more challenging finished pictures. We use plastic, wooden and paper tangrams depending upon what my goals are. Exploring with a group of children at school or the library? Inexpensive plastic sets are great. For a gift or at home? I have a lovely wooden set my husband gave me. For showing our parents what we've learned by gluing down and taking home, paper is the answer.
One of my favorite all time penguin activities is to have students take care of an "egg" or "chick" on their feet - you can see the blog post about that here, along with even more book recommendations. What are YOUR favorite penguin books and activities? I'd love to know!
Paula
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