Storytime Anytime-Penguins

I think that I have a penguin themed storytime every winter. Why? Well, first of all, penguins instantly bring to mind ice, snow, and cold weather. Most importantly, though, there is a rookery (that is a what you call a large group of penguins) of picture books and crafts featuring these tuxedo-clad birds that kids will adore!

What's black and white and red all over? A sun-burned penguin, of course!

Okay, that joke was lame, but the punch line reminds me of my favorite penguin picture book: The Penguin that Hated the Cold. This 1973 book by Barbara Brenner was part of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Reading and the story was based on The Cold-Blooded Penguin segment from Disney's 1944 animated film, The Three Caballeros.

 Normally I would not pitch any books based on a movie or tv show. Let's face it. Most of them are pretty horrendous. Just  thinking about the Dora the Explorer books that my daughter made me read over and over makes me cringe. However, The Penguin that Hated the Cold is an engaging and humorous story about a penguin named Pablo who desperately wants to escape the ice and snow of Antarctica. I have read this book more times than I count and it still makes me giggle. Especially, when Pablo straps hot water bottles to his feet and melts through the ice.  


As a kid I had a huge collection of books from Disney's Wonderful World of Reading (and, yes, I still have them all). Do not confuse these books, that mostly came out in the 70s, with the more current picture books published by Disney. The Penguin that Hated the Cold, Lambert the Sheepish Lion, Donald Duck: Mountain Climber, etc. are far superior in writing, storytelling, and fun than the more recent picture books based on Cars, Frozen, or Sophia the First.








If you have never heard of Antoinette Portis before you are missing out. Her books feature a droll humor complemented by bold and cheerful illustrations.

A Penguin Story happens to be my favorite book by Portis. Edna, the penguin, is convinced that there are colors in the world besides black, white, and blue. In a quest to discover new hues, Edna leads her fellow penguins on an expedition across the monochromatic landscape of Antarctica. Eventually, the penguins arrive at a science station awash in brilliant orange. I particularly adore the ending of A Penguin Story where you see Edna wearing a bright orange glove as a hat and a green boat sailing in the distance.

365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental is similar to A Penguin Story in that the illustrations are graphic and the artist uses only a few bold colors. A family is pleasantly surprised when a penguin mysteriously appears on their doorstep. They are not quite so happy, though, when more penguins arrive everyday until the total reaches 365. This hilarious picture book incorporates some great math lessons for older readers, but wee ones will love the ludicrous story and detailed illustrations.

I cannot talk about penguin books without mentioning the Tacky series written by Helen Lester (the author of the Hooway for Wodney Wat ). These books are lighthearted and silly and there is something about Tacky's Hawaiian shirt that I find irresistibly cute.








A more toddler friendly series of books about a penguin is written by Korean children's book author and illustrator, Salina Yoon.Whereas the Tacky books are a little bit longer stories , Yoon's books are spare in text and much simpler in theme and color. It is hard to describe Yoon's penguin stories without using words like precious and cute, but I promise that they are not cloyingly sweet. The board book editions of Penguin's adventures would be charming additions to any toddler's library.

So, why am I highlighting a chapter book on a storytime post? Personally, I think that it is just as important to read aloud chapter books to kids as picture books. Not only is it a great bonding experience, but there are numerous other benefits. Reading chapter books with younger children  builds their vocabularies, strengthens their imagination, and can even lengthen their attention spans (and what parent would say no to that?).

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater may have been published in 1938, but it is just as entertaining today. Readers young and old will be laughing out loud as Mr. Popper and his family struggle to take care of first one, then two, then twelve penguins!

My kids have actually listened to Mr. Popper's Penguins twice. The first time they were around the ages of four, seven, and nine and I read it to them. They loved the story so much we listened to  s to the audiobook version of it in the car on our way to Mackinac.

There are a ton of easy penguin crafts for kids that do not require a lot of prep because the shapes and colors are so simple. I have made penguins using construction paper, tissue paper, craft foam, and paper plates.


Igloos also fit in perfectly with a penguin theme.You can make them out of cotton balls, tissue paper, Styrofoam peanuts, construction paper, or white paint. If you want to incorporate the penguin, print off clip art or have kids draw their own (depending on their age) to live inside.