Penguin books to celebrate the new penguin habitat at Woodland Park Zoo

Penguin books to celebrate the new penguin habitat at Woodland Park Zoo
May 20, 12:57 PM

The penguins at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo have gotten their new habitat. The new space opened on Monday to the delight of penguin fans. My kids can’t wait to go see it—kids seem to have a thing for penguins.

So, in celebration of all things penguin, here are some books that feature the little waddling wonders.

Early Non-fiction

The Emperor’s Egg, by Martin Jenkins and Jane Chapman, is an entertainingly written life-of-an-Emperor-penguin tale. It is factual but funny and should interest even a young listener.

Penguins (See How They Grow), by DK Publishing, is an informative and entertaining look at the life of a penguin as it grows from chick to adult. The photographs are appealing and the text is simple. This is part of a series that introduces animals to young listeners. The book also has a sheet of stickers that are appealing to little ones.


Fiction for younger children

Penguin Pete, by Marcus Pfister, is the first story of Pete, who is featured in a number of tales. These stories are gentle tales of Pete’s adventures and are illustrated in Pfister’s soft almost fuzzy watercolors. Being a little penguin who can’t wait to do all the great penguin things, Pete really appeals to the younger set.

Tacky the Penguin, by Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger, is the first of a number of books involving this character. Tacky is a bit loud and brass and annoying and, well, tacky. But that doesn’t stop him from having a great time and marching to his own beat. His refusal to follow the pack often ends up saving the day in the end.

Non-fiction for older kids

Penguins, by Wayne Lynch, is a picture-book style book written for an older audience. With lots of factual information on various aspects of penguin life and full of colored photographs, this book will appeal to any 9-12 penguin fan or report writer.

Penguins and Antarctica (Magic Tree House Research Guide), by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce, is a great compilation of penguin facts in the fun format of Osborne’s Research Guides. Loads of information about Antarctic penguins, their habitat, the explorers of the region, and the animals that live there are all covered here.

Fiction for older kids

Mr. Popper’s Penguins, by Richard Atwater is a classic silly tale about refrigerator dwelling penguins and the adventures they bring to the family they live with. This is one of those stories of silly antics that have stayed fresh even after decades. It is a great read aloud story that will entertain both reader and young listeners.

Eve of the Emperor Penguin, Magic Tree House #40, by Mary Pope Osborn, is one of the latest of this series. As with all these books, the story is primarily a mystery, but there are nuggets of factual information sprinkled within the story.

Source:
http://www.examiner.com/x-4776-Seattle-Childrens-Literature-Examiner~y2009m5d20-Penguin-books-to-celebrate-the-new-penguin-habitat-at-Woodland-Park-Zoo