Baby Penguins Love their Mama

December 9, 2013
Guion follows her 2012 debut, Baby Penguins Everywhere!, with another reminder that being a mama, penguin or otherwise, can be exhausting at times. The book takes readers through the large penguin family’s busy week, from swimming and sliding lessons on Monday and Tuesday to Friday fishing. “And everyone loved Saturday squawking!” writes Guion of the weekend, though Mama’s pinched facial expression tells another story. Sunday is a much-needed day of rest, but Guion’s quietly humorous writing and soft watercolors make it clear that, more than anything, Mama penguin is proud of her babies and their accomplishments. Ages 3–5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

November 15, 2013
Mama Penguin loves her babies, but keeping up with all of their activities has her plain worn out. Playing the part of a contemporary soccer mom, Mama Penguin is "very busy taking care of everybody." Subsequent pages reveal swimming, sliding and waddling lessons, which are then followed by preening practice and fishing. By the time the last activity arrives, a picture of a beleaguered-looking Mama seems to contradict the accompanying text: "And everyone loved Saturday squawking!" In fact, Mama takes a much-needed nap in a spread depicting her prostrate on the ground with one eye closed and a single baby penguin standing watchfully nearby. The text then assures readers that Mama, now refreshed, is very proud of her babies, and she muses about how one day they'll be able to do all the things they're learning as well as she can. "Maybe even better," one of the babies pipes up; the sweetness of the accompanying picture mitigates the line's snarky tone. At this point, however, the story loses its steam as Mama wonders what will become of her once her offspring are independent, and the baby penguins reassure her that she will simply "be our Mama!" Despite the undeniable focus on the adult in the story, the uncluttered, whimsical watercolors are inviting to child readers throughout. A sweet, if uneven, penguin picture book. (Picture book. 3-5)

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February 1, 2014

PreS-K-Mama's many baby penguins watch and learn all week long as she models proper penguin behavior and teaches necessary skills. Her exuberant brood reassure her that she will always be their mama, no matter how big and skillful they get. This heartwarming family story is told in simple language, appropriate for a preschool read-aloud, while mixing in some harder vocabulary ("Thursday was preening practice. Nobody liked preening practice"). Guion's watercolor and pencil illustrations perfectly accompany the text, using icy blues and small splashes of color against crisp white backgrounds. The babies are full of personality, while the expression on Mama's face ranges from good-natured patience to a look during Saturday squawking that will be familiar to parents and teachers everywhere. Elementary schools and public libraries should add this lovely confection to their collections, especially where Guion's Baby Penguins Everywhere! (Philomel, 2012) is popular.-Rebecca Dash Donsky, New York Public Library

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2014
Preschool-G Mama Penguin and her waddle of baby penguins are always busy, with classes every day of the week: swimming on Monday, sliding on Tuesday, preening on Thursday. A mother's job is never done, until Sunday, that is, when she gets to take a long nap. Mama Penguin is proud of her diligent brood, and she looks forward to the day when they are as adept at penguin skills as she is. When one suggests that they might eventually be better than she is, this leaves her at a loss. What will her purpose be then? The answer is cute and heartfelt, and it will be much appreciated on Mother's Day. Guion's companion to Baby Penguins Everywhere! (2012) has a message that should resonate with parents who find themselves at the mercy of their children's busy schedules. Although the penguins are rendered in blacks and grays, the watercolors stand out against the copious white space (courtesy of Antarctica), in a style reminiscent of Oliver Jeffers. Because of the many baby penguins, there is lots to notice in the illustrations. A sweet book with broad appeal.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)