Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
When young Jonty Gentoo escapes from the zoo, he's inspired by his penguin aunts' tales of their home: "And there, where the sun shines all night and all day/ Are thousands of penguins, who slither and stroll/ On the snow and ice all around the South Pole." After squeezing through a gap in the fence and undertaking a long, lonely, and increasingly chilly journey, Jonty is informed by a friendly polar bear that he's arrived at the North Pole, where there's nary a penguin to be found. Jonty is eventually befriended by a migrating arctic tern, who guides him on a sea voyage southward, until Jonty reaches the real South Pole, which fully lives up to his aunts' promise of penguin paradise. Prior collaborators Donaldson and Scheffler create an impressively doughty protagonist, meanwhile helping readers to compare environments and gain an appreciation for both arctic terns and the plentiful biodiversity between the poles. A brief overview, "Amazing Birds," concludes. Ages 4--8. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--Jonty Gentoo, the gentoo penguin, loves living at the zoo with his aunts, but the stories they share have him dreaming of meeting other penguins at the South Pole. One night, Jonty Gentoo takes a brave step into the unknown to find his way to his kin on the other side of the world. Unfortunately, Jonty Gentoo's travels take him too far in the opposite direction, and he must rely on newfound friends to help reorient him. This clever, rhyming picture book imagines what life would be like for a penguin who is determined enough to travel the length of the globe to meet his relations. The text itself is beautifully designed to be read aloud, using rhyming lines and a predictable meter. This gives the book a singsong quality that will also invite young children to fill in the ends of sentences and phrases when appropriate. Alongside the text, the illustrations are childlike and accessible, providing plenty of detail for children to examine more closely. Originally published in the UK, the book incorporates a handful of words that may be less familiar to a U.S. audience, but the narrative has a wide reach. At the end, a brief note provides some nonfiction context for Jonty Gentoo's fictional tale. VERDICT A fun and imaginative story to read aloud with young children.--Mary R. Lanni
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Review by Horn Book Review
Jonty Gentoo is a young penguin who is content in his zoo home until his aunts' tales of the South Pole awaken his desire to explore. "He longed for the snow / and he dreamed of the Pole. / 'To reach it,' he said, / 'is my one dearest goal.'" Jonty escapes his enclosure and swims to a distant land of snow and ice, surely "the land of the penguins." A polar bear regretfully informs Jonty that he's arrived at the North Pole. A migrating Arctic tern redirects the lost bird, and "the bird in the sea and the bird in the sky" travel to the South Pole, where Jonty is welcomed by "a heart-warming huddle of gorgeous gentoos." Donaldson and Scheffler's latest collaboration (notably The Gruffalo; most recently The Baddies, rev. 7/23) is a playful rhyming adventure that's fun to read aloud and well supported by Scheffler's recognizable cartoon illustrations. Back matter provides some information about the story's two "Amazing Birds." An uplifting tale of big dreams and friends who help along the way. Emily BrushNovember/December 2024 p.65 (c) Copyright 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
Jonty Gentoo, a brave, determined zoo penguin, embarks on an epic journey. When Jonty Gentoo hears about penguin colonies at the South Pole, he yearns to go there. Eventually he escapes, leaving his loving aunts (no parents are mentioned) and caring keepers in search of adventure. Unclear on the concept of a geographic pole (he's initially confused when he encounters a flagpole, a barge pole, and a tent pole) and tired of walking, he jumps into the sea and delightedly swims through sparkling, food-filled waters. But when he emerges onto the ice, he finds no penguins, even after weeks pass. Bearded seals threaten to eat him, and the polar bear who saves him breaks the news: Jonty has traveled north. A tern accustomed to globe-spanning migration offers guidance, and "the bird in the sea and the bird in the air" travel south. Exhausted, Jonty lucks onto an Antarctic expedition ship and is taken aboard. On land he sees emperor and Adélie penguins and finally a "heartwarming huddle of gorgeous gentoos." The story is heartwarming, too, and the rhythms rock us through the miles of migration with reassuring and spot-on rhymes. Jonty and the bear are accurately depicted, though slightly anthropomorphized. Scheffler's firmly outlined art gives humans (who vary in skin tone) flat profiles but depicts whales, swordfish, owl, seals, and more in beautiful color and detail. The small hero's grit and happy ending guarantee another success for this popular author and illustrator duo.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
