Perky Little Penguins

Infant penguins skim, slip, squeak, slide, shriek, shout, waddle and whizz as they ski, slide and sledge in the wintry weather. Then after catching their own tasty lunch involving a lot of swirling, whirling, curling, twirling in the chilly water, they chance upon an ice floe upon which sits a sobbing seal pup who has lost her mother. Before long however, the antics of the penguins have cheered her up – just in time for Mama seal’s return.

The story, told in jaunty rhyme and with an abundance of alliteration, could provide a great introduction for young children to the joys of language play. Parker-Rees, in his highly coloured and busy illustrations, packs the pages with penguins clad in bobble hats and woolly scarves generally carrying on like children in the snow.