Tony Baloney

Tony Baloney is a macaroni . . . penguin. Ramon de Ocampo narrates slowly but expressively in this story of trouble-prone middle penguin Tony, who is surrounded by a bossy older sister and two bothersome babies. Tony confides his woes to his stuffed animal buddy, Dandelion. De Ocampo's reading captures the fun and nonsensical nature of the story while imparting a message of the importance of sharing feelings and getting along with family. His narration will engage youngsters with its playful tone. This audio version is a pleasant complement to the brightly illustrated picture book. The story is repeated twice--the first time without page-turning cues and the second time with. S.E.G. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

Starred review from November 1, 2010
Ryan's (The Dreamer) exuberant story takes a fresh look at sibling dynamics from the perspective of a beleaguered macaroni penguin caught between bossy Big Sister Baloney and twin Bothersome Babies Baloney. "When it is absolutely necessary, or most of the time," Tony Baloney plays with Big Sister, who always makes him assume the minor role of kitty ("When do I get to be Boss of the World?" he asks). When he becomes exasperated with his siblings, Tony acts out, after which he and his stuffed toy, Dandelion (acting as confidante and adviser), take a time-out. Their eventual decision to apologize involves an entertaining imagined dialogue; Tony concedes that they have to apologize nicely, and Dandelion admits, "I am not feeling nicely in my heart." Dominated by bold primary colors, Fotheringham's (The Extraordinary Mark Twain ) hyperbolic digital illustrations counterbalance the slyly understated narrative, portraying Tony's (and Dandelion's) antics with humor. Yet there's brilliant subtlety, too: his depiction of Big Sister—always en pointe in her red ballet flats and eyeing Tony with no shortage of scorn—says a mouthful about what Tony is dealing with. Ages 3–5.