Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-8. This large, handsome book presents the life cycle of the emperor penguin by following a family of the birds through a year beginning in May, when the mother lays one egg and passes it to the father penguin, who holds it on his feet under a flap of skin. Guiberson's vivid prose fleshes out the bare bones of the penguin's life cycle. She creates memorable images through straightforward presentation of the material to bring the story to life: for instance, "It is such a strong instinct that one emperor who doesn't have an egg shuffles around with a chunk of ice about the size of a softball"; or, "During the first twenty days, the father stands as still as a fire hydrant on the very same spot of ice." Paley's collages of painted and cut papers provide exceptionally beautiful scenes of the birds, from close-ups of the chick on his father's feet to scenes of the flock huddled for warmth or lined up to dive into the sea. The watery blues, greens, and purples of the setting show off the black, grays, and creamy yellows of the penguins in a surprisingly varied series of illustrations. --Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Beginning with the laying of an egg, Guiberson describes the care given to a baby emperor penguin by both parents from the time it hatches until it is on its own. Much detail is given about the activities of the mother and father, particularly their unusual eating patterns and survival skills. In addition to the well-researched and well-organized text, most pages utilize onomatopoeia that is sure to be enjoyed by young readers who can mimic the sounds created by these phrases ("Whoosh-whish," "Shuffle, shuffle," "Gurgle, swish"). Educational information is presented informally and successfully blends with the storylike tone of the book. Created by cutting shapes from hand-painted paper, Paley's icy blue and purple collage illustrations serve as a wintry backdrop for the black-and-white emperor penguins. They make readers shiver as they see the fathers working hard to keep themselves and their small charges warm in the freezing temperatures. As the catchy title indicates, Guiberson's book is sure to delight readers. By describing the life cycle of the emperor penguin and the unusually harsh Antarctic climate, the author introduces young readers to the wonderful diversity of the Earth's habitats.-Cathie E. Bashaw, Somers Library, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary) Guiberson packs a great deal of factual information into this well-paced story of emperor penguins and their young, focusing on the remarkable ways in which the penguins tend their eggs through the harsh Antarctic winters. After six weeks at the breeding ground, a female penguin lays an egg, then passes it off to her mate, who will devote all his energy over the next two months to protecting his offspring. Readers can't help but be in awe of the truly impressive behaviors of these animals, who go for weeks without food and with little movement to keep their young from freezing in the subzero temperatures. Guiberson enlivens her account with italicized sound words (""Whoosh...whish.... Gurgle, swish!"") when appropriate to the story. Paley's hand-painted paper collages imagine Antarctica in rather broad strokes; while the images do not provide details at the same level as found in the text, they capture the appeal of the stocky penguins and the icy blues of the landscape and make the book an attractive choice for story hour if not a primary resource on the science shelf. d.j.f. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Pity the poor papa penguin as he perseveres in protecting his precious progeny. He has to care for the emperor penguin egg by himself through two months of windy winter weather ("Screech, whoooo!") while the mother penguin is off searching for food. Guiberson (Tales of the Haunted Deep, 2000, etc.) has crafted a nonfiction narrative that imparts general information about the birth cycle of emperor penguins in combination with the more engaging story of a specific mother and father penguin caring for their own egg and the resulting chick. This gives more dramatic impact to the text, but is a little confusing at times with intertwined discussions of both the larger penguin group and references to the father and mother. Interesting factoids and interspersed parenthetical references to penguin sounds or movements ("Waddle, waddle") add extra punch to the text. Paley's (Little White Duck, 2000, etc.) stellar watercolor collage illustrations in vibrant double-page spreads steal the show, with midnight blue skies, downy gray penguin chicks, and graphically striking adult penguins. Although The Emperor's Egg, by Martin Jenkins (1999), covers similar territory, school and public libraries will find this title useful for elementary school science reports, and nature lovers will love the pictures. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-9)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
