Review by Booklist Review
Don't assume from the title that this is another whimsical cautionary tale like the classic Judi and Ron Barrett's Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing (1970). It is a glimpse of penguin activity, threats against their livelihood, a warning against misguided rescue attempts, and a suggestion to look beyond the headlines and news feeds. Several pages show penguins in their natural habitat, but when a ship leaks oil, they are coated in black goo. Sweaters are provided to protect the penguins, and they eventually return to the sea. An afterword explains that this is based on an actual event and that the sweaters proved harmful to some penguins and had to be discarded. A slight, engaging story, it is told through brief, clipped sentences that move the narrative. The illustrations are simple, reflecting the penguins' barren habitat, yet they contain a good amount of energy and interesting perspectives. The black-and-white birds are adorable, dignified, and look especially engaging in the knitted sweaters they aren't supposed to be wearing! Adults, prepare to answer many questions.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-K--Penguins don't wear sweaters unless there is an oil spill and lots of well-meaning knitters think it would be a good idea to send them something to put on. Fortunately, these Australian penguins had to wear the sweaters just long enough for a photo shoot, and then people who really knew how to care for penguins washed them up and released them to enjoy penguin things once the water was cleared of oil. Penguins huddling, cuddling, waddling, and gliding through the deep blue sea, even looking in consternation at the oily water, are as adorable as they come in these bright and stylized illustrations. VERDICT This book could be the inspiration for budding environmentalists. An author's note explains the true story that it's based on.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
After an oil spill, well-meaning offstage "Big Boots" try outfitting penguins with sweaters to protect them. The be-sweatered penguins look adorable in Rieley's crisp-lined, ice-cool-colored mixed-media art. But as Tamura's author's note explains, sweaters are almost as bad for penguins as spilled oil. The last pages of this gentle cautionary tale hint at this point: beware the easy fix, even when the fix is unbelievably cute. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A cautionary tale for young readers about the aftermath of oil spills near penguin habitats.Penguins frolic and feed in the ocean, showing off their black-and-white bodies and orange feet and beaks. They are busy doing what it is that penguins do: "huddling, cuddling, waddling" and "diving deep." Then a tanker passes by and leaves "oil pools in inky puddles." The penguins are in serious trouble until Big Boots with camera in hand appears. A campaign to knit sweaters for the penguins is the result until glove-clad hands show up to remove the sweaters and finally wash off the oil with toothbrushes. Tamura's well-told tale of ecological disaster and proper penguin rescue is told in rhythmic but not rhyming couplets. Her author's note references an actual event on Phillip Island, Australia (where visitors can view a penguin walk), and explains how knitted garments are actually harmful for penguins. Rieley's digitized pencil, ink, and handmade textures are appealing. His palette of blues and whites for the ocean, sky, and ice provides a perfect setting, both aerial and eye-level, for the penguins. The knitted sweaters, with close-ups of needles in action, are colorful if inappropriate for the recipients. Note that one of them features the publisher's penguin logo. It's almost too cute to get the message across that people should knit sweaters for toy animalsnot for the real critters. (author's note) (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
