The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: Winterfest - Brenda Maier - ★★★★.¼

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AUTHOR: Brenda Maier
ILLUSTRATOR: Fanni Mézes
SERIES: The Adventures of Penguin and Panda, #3
GENRE: Children's Graphic Novel
PUBLICATION DATE: October 1, 2024
RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: The third standalone graphic novel in the Penguin and Panda series. The best of the series so far, with wonderful wintry vibes.


This cute graphic novel is about two best friends and their adventures together. This is the third book in the ‘Adventures of Penguin and Panda’ series, but the books are standalone and can be read in any order. (That said, if you begin with this book, you might be befuddled about why Panda is carrying around an egg named Fred; he first popped up in the second book and evidently hasn’t popped out yet.)

The format of this book is the same as the other books in the series. There are four independent stories featuring the two titular animals and their adventures. As the title indicates, the dominant theme in this book is winter, so we get loads of snow and wintry vibes, along with a dash of Christmas.

Panda’s need for naps is still quite strong. Penguin is still her careful self, though the third story shows that she can also be adventurous in her choices when it suits her. I love how well the personalities of these two have been created and maintained consistently throughout the series.

This book also contains several fun facts about penguins and pandas.

The text is quite simple for the target age group, and the illustrations also, with their bright pastels and simple lines, would work wonderfully for them.

Not sure if it is because of the upcoming Christmas season, but this ended up my favourite of the three Penguin and Panda books I’ve read so far. All the stories were great, and all the life lessons were fun.

Definitely recommended! This would be a wonderful Christmas gift for kids aged 4-8.

My thanks to Marble Press for providing the DRC of “The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: Winterfest” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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