Review - Penguin and Pumpkin

Penguin and Pumpkin (Penguin)
by Salina Yoon
Date: 2014
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

When Penguin and Bootsy plan a field trip in search of Fall, Penguin's little brother, Pumpkin, wants to come. Pumpkin is heartbroken to find out he's too little to go, and when Penguin tries to say good-bye, his brother is nowhere to be found! At the farm, all the pumpkins Penguin sees remind him of his own special Pumpkin.

So Penguin and Bootsy bring a special surprise home to share a little touch of Autumn with Pumpkin. Prolific author/illustrator Salina Yoon's spare text and bright, energetic illustrations bring to life this endearing story celebrating Autumn and family in many forms!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I'm not sure I understand the appeal of these books. They're super simple, kind of silly, not at all realistic, and the illustrations aren't very interesting.

In this book, a penguin named Penguin takes all his friends to go to a farm (somewhere) and see pumpkins. Little brother Pumpkin wants to come, but he's too small. So the older penguins leave and head off to the farm on an ice floe. They pick out some pumpkins, grab a box full of leaves, and head back to Antarctica (I'm assuming). Then Pumpkin tells Penguin all the fun he's had imagining some adventures while they've been gone. But he still wishes he knew what fall looks like. So Penguin makes it rain leaves.

I guess if you're two, this is fine literature. But I find these books annoyingly basic.

Premise: 1/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 2/5
Originality: 1/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 1.83 out of 5