Review by Booklist Review
Rex, who brought beginning readers the likes of Wants vs. Needs vs. Robots (2023), adds another silly offering to his roster of tempting titles. In a world populated by penguins, Tunneler (hardhat on, shovel in wing) is busy tunneling around to his neighbors, passing out mysterious, star-stamped papers as he goes. Rex fully commits to the bit, and kids will enjoy the absurdity and formula as Tunneler visits the gardener (who "gardens in the garden"), the farmer (who "farms on the farm"), the banker (who "banks at the bank"), and so on. As Tunneler tunnels, cutaway illustrations offer glimpses of trash and treasures buried underground, giving readers opportunities to seek and find a variety of objects. Funny moments are plentiful, especially when Tunneler is off target as he breaks through the ground. His entertaining antics will pull readers along as they continue to wonder, just what is this penguin up to? All is revealed in the end, and it must be said, beginning readers will enjoy reading this beginning reader.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review
A rhythmic, repetitive text and cartoon illustrations anchor this jovial outing for kids beginning to dig into reading. "The tunneler tunnels in the tunnel." In a spread that shows what's happening both above and below the ground, a penguin laboriously digs its way up into a garden where "the gardener gardens in the garden." Then Penguin pops up on a farm where "the farmer farms on the farm." Pattern established, Rex builds anticipation and offers less-confident readers practice with similar letter combinations and sounds. Spreads are packed with detail (the myriad objects Penguin encounters may bring to mind Barnett and Klassen's Sam & Dave Dig a Hole, rev. 11/14), and readers will notice Penguin delivering sheets of orange paper adorned with yellow stars. What are those about? Gentle humor gives children more to appreciate, particularly when Penguin surfaces in inopportune spots, such as a bank vault. Each page-turn deepens the sense of community as readers see characters sharing hot dogs at a barbecue, cheering at a baseball game, and shopping for groceries. It's no surprise when at book's end everyone who's been invited by the orange papers gathers while the "rocker rocks on the rock" and the "dancers dance at the dance." Clever, entertaining fun. Adrienne L. PettinelliSeptember/October 2025 p.72 (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
A tunneling penguin stars in this title for the newest of readers. A mole might have been a more logical character choice, especially given the bucolic, decidedly un-Antarctic setting, but the anthropomorphic penguin (referred to as "the tunneler") makes a winning protagonist. Wearing a hard hat and wielding a shovel, the tunneler is introduced on the copyright page in front of a ramshackle house and a few buckets, including one holding orange papers, each emblazoned with a yellow star. On each spread, the unseen narrator informs us that "the tunneler tunnels in the tunnel." The titular phrase repeats on the right-hand side of each spread as the tunneler pops out of the ground to greet other penguins and hand each of them one of the orange papers. These other characters are similarly identified by their occupations: "The gardener gardens in the garden." "The farmer farms on the farm." At the book's conclusion, readers discover that the papers were invitations to a rock concert, held (appropriately enough) by a large nearby stone. Lo and behold, the tunneler is also a "rocker," and "as the rocker rocks on the rock," "the dancers dance at the dance!" Playful cartoon illustrations will help youngsters decode the spare, repetitive text as details in the cross-sections of underground tunnels provide visual interest. Burgeoning readers will eagerly dig in.(Early reader. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
