Puffin and Penguin - Helaine Becker - ★★★★.¼

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AUTHOR: Helaine Becker
ILLUSTRATOR: Kevin Sylvester
GENRE: Children's Graphic Novel
PUBLICATION DATE: October 1, 2024
RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A children’s graphic novel about two classmates who learn how to work together. Cute for the target age group. Nice life lessons as well. Learnt some interesting facts too along the way.


Plot Preview:
After moving with his family to ‘New Stork City’, Puffin is excited to be in a fancy new school in ‘Brookloon’. However, he soon realises that the buddy assigned to him, Penguin, is the coolest and busiest kid in school, always in demand and loved by everyone. Feeling ignored, Puffin hatches his own plan to make friends and joins the stage crew of the drama club. But even the best of plans comes with glitches, and Puffin learns that enthusiasm doesn’t lead to automatic success.


Bookish Yays:
🐧 Two of the cutest birds in one graphic novel! Loved how the book played on the similarity in appearance between puffins and penguins.

🐧 The titular duo – opposite in nature and unlikely protagonists. Loved their personalities. I also appreciate how the book shows both of them to be right and wrong at different times instead of a biased viewpoint towards the new entrant in school.

🐧 The breaking of stereotypes – The cool kid isn’t mean. The new kid isn’t nervous. The book forces us to think different.

🐧 All the birdy wordplay! Whether chapter titles or textual content, there are many avian puns that will be a treat for kids to discover, as long as they know their birds well. Mine didn’t know that the loon is an actual bird. They know it now!

🐧 Some fun birdy facts and trivia, presented not as a separate section but as a part of the plot. A great way of incorporating learning into stories.

🐧 Fabulous illustrations, where even the background of the panels have plenty going on. For graphics-loving kids, this will be a treat.


Bookish Mixed Bags:
🥚 Couldn’t figure out why the bird parents wear clothes but the teacher and her students in school don’t! 😂


Overall, this was a fun read that will be well suited to kids between 5-8 years of age. The story is simplistic but perfect for kids aged 6-12. The illustrations add to the reading experience, and the message and the avian trivia are the icing on the cake. I read this with my girls (who are both older than the target age). They found this book cute and rated it 4.5 and 4.25 stars respectively.

Recommended to littlies who love graphic novels and birds and light-hearted stories with subtle morals.

4.25 stars. (My rating is 4, but the kids did like it better and it IS a children’s book, so…!)

My thanks to Kids Can Press for providing the DRC of “Puffin and Penguin” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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