My Penguin Osbert in Love - Hardcover

Elizabeth Cody Kimmel is the author of My Penguin Osbert and What Do You Dream? among many other works of fiction and nonfition for children and young adults. She lives in Cold Spring, New York.

H. B. "Buck" Lewis, the illustrator of My Penguin Osbert, also designs characters for animated feature films from Dreamworks, Disney, Blue Sky/Fox, and Pixar, among others. He lives in Los Angeles.

PreSchool-Grade 2—Joe and his endearing pet, introduced in My Penguin Osbert (Candlewick, 2004), take a trip to the South Pole to attend a party to celebrate a display of the southern lights. Joe packs Osbert and his 20+ friends into the helicopter he received from Santa ("I had a little trouble getting everybody into their seat belts, but we managed to take off before noon"). The story bogs down with too many disparate elements, including a couple of superfluous landings and Joe and the penguins twice standing in line to use a restroom, rather than focusing on Osbert falling in love with Aurora Australis. There are some touches of humor: a comment that Joe is not sure that the penguins he returns with were the same ones he brought, but the first book had more humor and child appeal. The colorful and softly muted illustrations created using watercolor, pastel, and digital art depict a fluidly expressive Joe and the personable penguins sneaking upstairs, checking out a globe, landing at the South Pole, one penguin wearing earphones and holding guiding lights, and the magnificence of the southern lights.—Kirsten Cutler, Sonoma County Library, CA
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