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5th out of 51 books
—
25 voters
A Penguin Story
Edna the penguin only knows the three colors that surround her: white ice, black night, and blue sea. She is convinced there is something more out there. So she sets out on a quest—a quest for color. When she finally finds what she's been looking for, it's everything she hoped for and more. But that doesn't mean she will ever stop looking.
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
December 23rd 2008
by HarperCollins
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Delightfully expressive body language and the thrill of missed details make this artfully simple-seeming tale an endearing adventure in determination, imagination and belief in the unimaginable.
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
More penguins on JOMB:
Patrick the Somnambulist
Cuddly Dudley
And Tango Makes Three (review submitted by Sage Tyrtle)
We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our J...more
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
More penguins on JOMB:
Patrick the Somnambulist
Cuddly Dudley
And Tango Makes Three (review submitted by Sage Tyrtle)
We’d love to hear your thoughts on a favourite children’s book. Leave a voice message on our J...more
Some of the picture books I read make me wish I were a better reviewer. I know my history of the art form. I know what makes one book a stronger better read than another. I can sense when a book will feel right to an adult and to a child. But I am bested by the best sometimes. A Penguin Story comes from Antoinette Portis, a woman who has figured out how to do something extraordinarily difficult: combine good design with pitch-perfect storytelling. Not a Box, her debut, was no fluke. Switching ge...more
While I think that this book is actually very good, for some reason I'm not in love with the little penguin, which I would expect for a story like this. I think that while it artwork is superb, the penguins themselves are a little boxy and somehow lose some of the natural penguin charm, which I think might have something to do with their sleekness. In any case, the illustrations are excellent with every colour and every spread carefully considered such as the white page for white which transitio...more
Nov 17, 2009
Lisa Vegan
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
penguin lovers; seekers of all ages
I love the illustrations of the penguins and the premise of the story. Edna the penguin is curious about what’s out in the world besides the three colors she knows: white ice, black night, and blue sea. I thought that Edna and the other penguins were very endearing and appreciated Edna’s curiosity and sense of adventure. I loved the humor that’s in abundance throughout the whole book. However, what Edna and then the other penguins find: two more colors, but a lot of the fun of it went away for m...more
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May 29, 2010
Pretty much impossible for me to walk by a book about penguins and not pick it up.
***
Cute. We liked it, but the Offspring and I agree: more colors would have been better.
***
January 10, 2012
The library had a display of snow books. I picked it up again, because I didn't remember reading it.
This time we did not feel it lacking in any regard.
Library copy.
Pretty much impossible for me to walk by a book about penguins and not pick it up.
***
Cute. We liked it, but the Offspring and I agree: more colors would have been better.
***
January 10, 2012
The library had a display of snow books. I picked it up again, because I didn't remember reading it.
This time we did not feel it lacking in any regard.
Library copy.
Antoinette Portis (Not A Box) might be my new hero. Her books are so simple and so well-designed. You already know that a box can be many things when imagination is applied, but can you make a story out of it? You already know that blue and orange are complementary colors, and that the appearance of orange in a world of black, white, and blue would be an attention-getting moment, but can you make a story out of it? Antoinette Portis can!
"There is white ice for sliding," says Edna. "There is blac...more
"There is white ice for sliding," says Edna. "There is blac...more
Portis, the author of the present in every art museum gift shop, book Not A Box, seems to have made it a mission to push the value of the imagination onto her readers.
Her latest book starts out as a poetic riff on color. "White, thinks Edna. Like yesterday. Black. Like tomorrow." Edna(tee-hee)the penguin, has a sense of longing for the unknown, she yearns for something different and new, it becomes clear that she has faith that it exists. While other penguins go about meeting their daily needs,...more
Her latest book starts out as a poetic riff on color. "White, thinks Edna. Like yesterday. Black. Like tomorrow." Edna(tee-hee)the penguin, has a sense of longing for the unknown, she yearns for something different and new, it becomes clear that she has faith that it exists. While other penguins go about meeting their daily needs,...more
Apr 02, 2010
Typhani
added it
Summary: Edna the penguin only knows the three colors that surround her: white ice, black night, and blue sea. She is convinced there is something more out there. So she sets out on a quest—a quest for color. When she finally finds what she's been looking for, it's everything she hoped for and more. But that doesn't mean she will ever stop looking. Thanks Goodreads!
Audience: Ages 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Use: Independent reading, read aloud
Life Lessons: Setting out to find something worthwhile in t...more
Audience: Ages 4-8
Genre: Picture Book
Use: Independent reading, read aloud
Life Lessons: Setting out to find something worthwhile in t...more
Edna the Penguin sees one of three colours every day, white, blue and black. She is bored of her tricolour world and longs to see something new, something different. So Edna sets out to explore and see the world. She discovers an Antarctic research team, and she sees orange for the first time. Edna drags the rest of her colony along with her on the journey, expanding all of their horizons.
Author/Illustrator Antoinette Portis has vreated a very simply illustrated book, but that works with the the...more
Author/Illustrator Antoinette Portis has vreated a very simply illustrated book, but that works with the the...more
Jan 26, 2010
Nicole
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
any and all
Shelves:
picture-books,
talking-animals
I'll admit, I had to be sold on this one. I liked it the first time around but would have dismissed it out of turn had it not been for some rather passionate debating at our Mock Cal.
It's a whimsical page-turner, in every sense of the word (slash 3 words and a hyphen). Stylized, minimalistic, textured. Well designed from endpaper to endpapaer, with a clear yet funny message.
I could do without the acid trip page, but is there anything cuter then the close-up of little miss penguin? Props to the s...more
It's a whimsical page-turner, in every sense of the word (slash 3 words and a hyphen). Stylized, minimalistic, textured. Well designed from endpaper to endpapaer, with a clear yet funny message.
I could do without the acid trip page, but is there anything cuter then the close-up of little miss penguin? Props to the s...more
I loved this story I thought it was super cute. I was really happy for the penguin when he finally found what he was looking for.
My summary,
The whole book the little Penguin is looking for something that is not white blue or black because he thinks that is all that is in his world. One day he goes out on a journey and he finds a research group. The penguins help the group out and rind out that there is more then just blue black and white in the world. Now he is happy.
My summary,
The whole book the little Penguin is looking for something that is not white blue or black because he thinks that is all that is in his world. One day he goes out on a journey and he finds a research group. The penguins help the group out and rind out that there is more then just blue black and white in the world. Now he is happy.
Edna the penguin is tired of looking at the same 3 colors all the time: black, white and blue. She's convinced that there must be more color out there somewhere. So while her friends are playing and searching for food, Edna is searching for color.
One day she finds it! She bumps right into a something that is not black, white or blue! She runs back and invites all of her penguin friends to come see this thing that is not black, white or blue. Everyone is stunned. "WOW!" they exclaim.
One day she finds it! She bumps right into a something that is not black, white or blue! She runs back and invites all of her penguin friends to come see this thing that is not black, white or blue. Everyone is stunned. "WOW!" they exclaim.
Edna is a penguin who believes there are more colors out there in the world besides white, black and blue. Edna goes exploring and finds scientist with an orange plane and orange clothes and gloves. The scientist leave a glove with the penguins. Edna is still determined to find the other colors in the world.
This book may be used when teaching about places where it snows all the time like Antarctica.
This book may be used when teaching about places where it snows all the time like Antarctica.
Another winner from Antoinette Portis (author of Not a Box and Not a Stick). Portis offers the essence of why we explore and what drives us to seek answers. Portis uses her signature simple, cartoon style illustrations, and the horizontal trim of the book lends itself to the antarctic landscape. Words are sparse and placed strategically throughout the art to form a poetic free verse.
I was thinking of my friend who has been to Antarctica when I read this book. The suits and tents look like those the scientists use down there.
Simple story, good for preschool, maybe toddlers?
Dialogic possibilities: curiosity; colors; snow/winter
Early reading literacy possibilities: print awareness, related to noticing lack of colors and colors showing up
Simple story, good for preschool, maybe toddlers?
Dialogic possibilities: curiosity; colors; snow/winter
Early reading literacy possibilities: print awareness, related to noticing lack of colors and colors showing up
I read this on my lunch at work the other day thinking it would be more about penguins. Don't get me wrong, all of the characters are penguins, but it's about one penguin's search for a color other than blue, white and black. That's it. She finds humans and the color orange. It ends with here wondering if there are even more colors for her to find. Still, penguins!
at first glance, this book did nothing for me. however, upon reading it aloud to the girls, it grew on me. penguins tire of black white and blue surrounding them and seek out more colors--which they find in a polar expedition. the story's ending promises more fun for the penguins even after the expedition has moved on.
The art by Portis is understated and somehow perfect for this story. The message that it's important to seek that which will make one happy was also well done. However, I'm disappointed that Edna's happiness came from the arrival of humans with large vehicles. We know that is killing penguins, not making them happier.
The pictures are neat and the story has something to say, but I finished feeling that there could have been more. The fact that the penguins see three colors in their world (black, white, and blue) is a fun concept that the author explores. I didn't need the penguins to shake hands with the scientists.
Oct 23, 2008
Stacy268
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Stacy268 by:
preview
Shelves:
children-s,
picturebooks
Edna is tired of seeing the same old thing. The white of the snow. The black of the night. And the blue of the never ending sea. There must be something else, she thinks.
Instead of playing with all of the other penguins, Edna decides to go exploring. She soon makes a discovery. A bright orange discovery.
There are scientists in the area, and Edna leads her penguin friends to tents, people, parkas, and planes.
Edna is so satisfied with her discovery that readers can feel her happiness. Readers wil...more
Instead of playing with all of the other penguins, Edna decides to go exploring. She soon makes a discovery. A bright orange discovery.
There are scientists in the area, and Edna leads her penguin friends to tents, people, parkas, and planes.
Edna is so satisfied with her discovery that readers can feel her happiness. Readers wil...more
A wonderful story of curiosity. Penguins only know the white ice, the black night and the blue sea, but Edna can just feel that there is something more. She's not deterred when her friends and family aren't interested in joining in on her quest, and how rewarding it ends up being!
Antoinette Portis proves that a fantastic imagination doesn't need bells and whistles to evoke a truly fantastic story with beautiful images. Once again, simplicity reigns supreme in a world where Edna the penguin is looking for something that isn't white, black, or blue.
I love this penguin. I am always looking for the something that is not what I have. Finding a new color what a brave journey. I love the adult penguin who gave him the fish to find it as well. One of my new favorite Penguin stories. Ages 5+
Awesome book about curiosity and adventure. It also has an element of foreshadowing with the illustrations. I would definitely read this to a class! They can make predictions and the end of the story is open to interpretation and discussion.
I love the simplicity of the illustrations and the story is sweet but the big metaphor will be lost on the child reader. I would have given it more stars but the "new agey" theme of looking for more in life ruffled my feathers a bit.
A new classic! The humor reminds me of Mo Willems, the illustrations are a little like Ezra Keats. The storyline actually follows an experiment and studies done by Jacques Cousteau, so NSTA's book award should take a look too!
Edna the penguin is surrounded by three colors: black, white, and blue. She knows there must be more to life than that so she goes searching for that something more.
Cute book. Simple but effective illustrations.
Cute book. Simple but effective illustrations.
Themes: colors, blue, black, orange, penguin, cold, snow, looking, finding, perspective, large and small
Uses: storytime, read aloud
CCPL Mock Caldecott introduction. Cute simple drawings, penguins have personality.
Uses: storytime, read aloud
CCPL Mock Caldecott introduction. Cute simple drawings, penguins have personality.
Simple illustrations with some pages that have a little text but others have quite a few lines. Good middle book
Edna the penguin tries to find something in her surroundings that is not black, white, or blue.
Edna the penguin tries to find something in her surroundings that is not black, white, or blue.
I really liked this simple story. The colors and illustration are unique and simple at the same time. I like the simple text and the simple satisfaction for finding something new - anything new.
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Antoinette attended the UCLA School of Fine Arts and is a former creative director at Disney. She lives in Southern California.
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