Review - Five Flying Penguins

Five Flying Penguins
by Barbara Barbieri McGrath
illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
Date: 2018
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Five little penguins are content in the cold--until they spot a menacing mammal!

With a rhyming narrative that counts to five, adorable penguins are soaring--or flying--through the sea, trying to elude a lurking creature. But as young readers of this charming tale will discover, a friendly seal is only looking to play a game of tag.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

False advertising! None of these penguins fly. (And you know some astute kids are going to point this out. Just be forewarned.)

This is a pleasant-to-look at picture book that incorporates rhyme, counting, cute pictures, excitement, and a twist at the end. While I didn't love the metre and rhythm here, it's not as bad as in some other books I've seen, and it's still readable. The illustrations are the real star, though, showing off a diverse group of colourful penguins as they scamper through a largely turquoise landscape (the choice to stay away from keeping every page white and snowy was a good one).

Check this one out if you're looking for cute counting books with a little more of a story.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 3/5
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.86 out of 5