What do you think?
Rate this book
The Many Adventures of Pengey Penguin
a wonderful book.
198 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2005
12 people want to read
About the author
John Burns
3 books24 followersJOHN BURNS, "NATURAL BORN STORYTELLER", is the author of the internationally applauded Pengey Penguin Children's Classics; oftentimes referred to as, "BEDTIME STORIES FOR THE SOUL". His unique writing style, original themes, dialogue wizardry and character development provide entertaining, thought-provoking fairy tales that appeal to children and the adults who read to them. They all come complete a heart-warming moral compass but without any religious overtones, and without being being preachy.
Burns has always said, his children's stories are his most important contribution to kids, to the world and to literature. Burns also authored a vast collection of adult novels that include historical nonfiction, as well as highly praised crime/thrillers such as, THE GLASS ALIBI, a hard-boiled detective story set in San Francisco during the tough-times of the 1980's.
AWARDS: Burns is the only author ever awarded four coveted "REMI Awards" in one night, during the entire 54-year history of the Huston International Independent Film Festival. He is also the recipient of, The Living Legacy Award presented by the Arizona Branch of International Women in Film.
PRODUCER CREDITS: When streaming was in its infancy, Burns created the original RadioMystery.com, writing and directing for over 40 actors during its run. He also produced for the stage at the once famous, Bannam Palace Theater in San Francisco. His screen writing career includes his work with the Executive Producers of feature films such as, Leonardo DiCaprio's, "Catch Me If You Can", and Will Smith's, "I-Robot".
Burns is a former cable TV Executive. Working with the Janus and Criterion Film Collections, he produced the first cable TV production featuring the Academy Award Winning films of Toho Studios and director Akira Kirosawa. He wrote and directed popular films such as, "The Money Tree In Your Back Yard", and his short film, "Epilogue" taking first place in the First Los Angeles Short Film Festival.
Burns' adult education includes: The School of Contemporary Music, Boston Massachusetts, creative writing at San Francisco State University, Screenwriting with Professor Richard Walters, UCLA, also with Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and Iron Man Three). He is a graduate of The Hollywood Film Institute.
John is married and splits his time living in the historic Bohemian district of North Beach, San Francisco and the beautiful desert oasis of Palm Springs, California.
Burns has always said, his children's stories are his most important contribution to kids, to the world and to literature. Burns also authored a vast collection of adult novels that include historical nonfiction, as well as highly praised crime/thrillers such as, THE GLASS ALIBI, a hard-boiled detective story set in San Francisco during the tough-times of the 1980's.
AWARDS: Burns is the only author ever awarded four coveted "REMI Awards" in one night, during the entire 54-year history of the Huston International Independent Film Festival. He is also the recipient of, The Living Legacy Award presented by the Arizona Branch of International Women in Film.
PRODUCER CREDITS: When streaming was in its infancy, Burns created the original RadioMystery.com, writing and directing for over 40 actors during its run. He also produced for the stage at the once famous, Bannam Palace Theater in San Francisco. His screen writing career includes his work with the Executive Producers of feature films such as, Leonardo DiCaprio's, "Catch Me If You Can", and Will Smith's, "I-Robot".
Burns is a former cable TV Executive. Working with the Janus and Criterion Film Collections, he produced the first cable TV production featuring the Academy Award Winning films of Toho Studios and director Akira Kirosawa. He wrote and directed popular films such as, "The Money Tree In Your Back Yard", and his short film, "Epilogue" taking first place in the First Los Angeles Short Film Festival.
Burns' adult education includes: The School of Contemporary Music, Boston Massachusetts, creative writing at San Francisco State University, Screenwriting with Professor Richard Walters, UCLA, also with Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout and Iron Man Three). He is a graduate of The Hollywood Film Institute.
John is married and splits his time living in the historic Bohemian district of North Beach, San Francisco and the beautiful desert oasis of Palm Springs, California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 17, 2012
Book Title: "The Many Adventures of Pengey Penguin"
Author: John Burns
Published By: San Francisco Story Works
Age Recommended: 5 +
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5
[image]
Review: Even at the ripe old age of 39 I still enjoy a children’s story every now and again, and when I have the chance to find one that truly transports me back to those years of my youth I have to rate it highly. “The Adventures of Pengey Penguin” is definitely one of those books that in my opinion should be rated as an instant classic. The tales of this wonderful creature are some of the most interesting, adventurous, and delightful stories I’ve ever read.
I can imagine any child or even any adult that would not enjoy this book immensely. If you have the chance to get one book for your child or grandchild, you should make it “The Adventures of Pengey Penguin” you will be happy you made the decision and your child or grandchild will be happy too!
Synopsis: Pengey doesn't have many breaks as a baby; he's orphaned soon after he hatches. Shunned by the other penguins, without food, he has no chance to survive in an Antarctic winter. A fierce storm leaves him stranded on a tiny iceberg, but he stays calm and relies on the lessons his parents taught him. When he's lonely, or hungry, or angry, or just plain stuck, you see, he always, "ponders his options." Pengey is a very smart penguin. Days later, Pengey stumbles upon some humans. He is always inquisitive, polite, and a quick study, but he is near death from starvation when he meets Wendy. Still, he impresses her with his good manners and ability to speak small, but important, human words. His reward is a full tummy, but his friendship is short-lived when Wendy leaves to go back to her home in New York City. She pleads with Pengey to go with her, but he is terrified of the noisy airplane.
Feeling abandoned, Pengey vows to find Wendy again, and it is then that he begins a new adventure. One mishap leads Pengey to Brazil and to his happy reunion with her, but the next separates them and lands Pengey in animal jail. When the jailer notices his ability to talk, Pengey looks like money in the bank. The greedy jailer knows many evil-doers who would pay handsomely for a talking penguin. That they would enslave Pengey to the circus or the cloning laboratory is of no matter to him. It's in animal jail that Pengey meets his most trusted allies, Rufus Puffin-quiet, smart with knowledge of the sea, and Lionel Macaw-street-wise, grew up on the lower East-Side. The three unlikely friends must overcome obstacles that test their skills at every turn-not the least of which is how to escape from animal jail.
Then, the recaptured Pengey must escape from the Mad Scientist, Circus Master, and Animal Trainer. If, Lionel and Rufus can snatch him back from their clutches, the only way out will be through the rainforests of Brazil and Venezuela, with their constant danger of wild animals. Pengey's only option is to learn to fly. Luckily, Lionel is a huge bird, and the tiny penguin finds that he can fly fearlessly on Lionel's back. Clear of one obstacle and then another, the valiant threesome is faced with their greatest challenge, the flight across the mighty Caribbean, which is prone to terrible sea squalls. Pengey and Rufus can easily survive them, but Lionel cannot swim, and the little islands that dot the great water are few and far between. Spurred on by a little luck, Rufus and Lionel's strengths, and Pengey's cheerful, spirited ways---the unlikely friends make the dangerous 5,000-mile journey to New York.
There they go their separate ways, for that is the way things are--each rewarded by the friendship they found on their amazing adventure. But in the end, it is Pengey's reunion with the human who saved him from starvation that is a triumph of the spirit, because without Wendy, Pengey would have had no journey at all. "A bedtime story for the Soul"
Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.probo...
Author: John Burns
Published By: San Francisco Story Works
Age Recommended: 5 +
Reviewed By: Kitty Bullard
Raven Rating: 5
[image]
Review: Even at the ripe old age of 39 I still enjoy a children’s story every now and again, and when I have the chance to find one that truly transports me back to those years of my youth I have to rate it highly. “The Adventures of Pengey Penguin” is definitely one of those books that in my opinion should be rated as an instant classic. The tales of this wonderful creature are some of the most interesting, adventurous, and delightful stories I’ve ever read.
I can imagine any child or even any adult that would not enjoy this book immensely. If you have the chance to get one book for your child or grandchild, you should make it “The Adventures of Pengey Penguin” you will be happy you made the decision and your child or grandchild will be happy too!
Synopsis: Pengey doesn't have many breaks as a baby; he's orphaned soon after he hatches. Shunned by the other penguins, without food, he has no chance to survive in an Antarctic winter. A fierce storm leaves him stranded on a tiny iceberg, but he stays calm and relies on the lessons his parents taught him. When he's lonely, or hungry, or angry, or just plain stuck, you see, he always, "ponders his options." Pengey is a very smart penguin. Days later, Pengey stumbles upon some humans. He is always inquisitive, polite, and a quick study, but he is near death from starvation when he meets Wendy. Still, he impresses her with his good manners and ability to speak small, but important, human words. His reward is a full tummy, but his friendship is short-lived when Wendy leaves to go back to her home in New York City. She pleads with Pengey to go with her, but he is terrified of the noisy airplane.
Feeling abandoned, Pengey vows to find Wendy again, and it is then that he begins a new adventure. One mishap leads Pengey to Brazil and to his happy reunion with her, but the next separates them and lands Pengey in animal jail. When the jailer notices his ability to talk, Pengey looks like money in the bank. The greedy jailer knows many evil-doers who would pay handsomely for a talking penguin. That they would enslave Pengey to the circus or the cloning laboratory is of no matter to him. It's in animal jail that Pengey meets his most trusted allies, Rufus Puffin-quiet, smart with knowledge of the sea, and Lionel Macaw-street-wise, grew up on the lower East-Side. The three unlikely friends must overcome obstacles that test their skills at every turn-not the least of which is how to escape from animal jail.
Then, the recaptured Pengey must escape from the Mad Scientist, Circus Master, and Animal Trainer. If, Lionel and Rufus can snatch him back from their clutches, the only way out will be through the rainforests of Brazil and Venezuela, with their constant danger of wild animals. Pengey's only option is to learn to fly. Luckily, Lionel is a huge bird, and the tiny penguin finds that he can fly fearlessly on Lionel's back. Clear of one obstacle and then another, the valiant threesome is faced with their greatest challenge, the flight across the mighty Caribbean, which is prone to terrible sea squalls. Pengey and Rufus can easily survive them, but Lionel cannot swim, and the little islands that dot the great water are few and far between. Spurred on by a little luck, Rufus and Lionel's strengths, and Pengey's cheerful, spirited ways---the unlikely friends make the dangerous 5,000-mile journey to New York.
There they go their separate ways, for that is the way things are--each rewarded by the friendship they found on their amazing adventure. But in the end, it is Pengey's reunion with the human who saved him from starvation that is a triumph of the spirit, because without Wendy, Pengey would have had no journey at all. "A bedtime story for the Soul"
Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.probo...
April 15, 2012
When Pengey Penguin’s mother does not return from Antarctica’s Weddell Sea, his starving father is forced to set out on his own quest for food, leaving the vulnerable hatchling behind. Shooed away from the Emperor colony, Pengey sets out in search of his father and soon finds himself at sea on a quickly shrinking ice floe. He battles an albatross, a leopard seal, and a storm, and is finally driven by hunger onto another icy surface where he meets Wendy, a filmmaker preparing to leave Antarctica. The two bond at first sight, largely because Pengey is an extraordinarily quick study when it comes to the language of humans. The rest of this animal fantasy details Pengey’s stowing away on the airplane that carries Wendy away from Antarctica, his separation from her at an airport in Brazil (in an incident which recalls Curious George’s early experiences with the man with the yellow hat), and his long journey to New York where Wendy lives and works. Along the way, Pengey meets friends—avian, reptile, and human—who help him battle the elements as well as outwit the mad scientist and circus master planning to cash in on his remarkable ability to talk.
While The Many Adventures of Pengey Penguin contains enough compelling action to justify its title, it takes more than an eventful plot to make a story about a little penguin fly. Unfortunately, poor writing keeps Pengey earthbound. Part of the problem seems to be that at least initially the author doesn’t seem to know what kind of story he wants to write. The first part of the book leads the reader to expect a semi-fictionalized narrative about a penguin's first days—in the manner of Brenda Guiberson’s The Emperor Lays an Egg. Early chapters are chock full of scientific facts presented in the occasionally clunky language of percentages, measurements, and (human) time. “A span of a mere seven seconds will freeze a baby penguin egg to death,” writes the author in one section. In another, Pengey’s father reflects that “daytime temperatures of forty degrees below zero” will “soon plummet to seventy or eighty below at night”. In a third, we’re told Pengey’s mother can “divert her blood flow away from her skin to make her completely immune to cold water” and “hold her breath when submerged for extremely long periods of time.” Within a few chapters, however, reader expectations are defied when fact-filled passages like those cited above give way to increasingly cutesy allusions to “tummies”, “yummy” food, and “bankeys” (blankets). Diction is not a strong point in this children’s novel; hackneyed expressions--such as “jump for joy”,” toasty warm”, and “fast as his little legs could carry him”--abound, and the words “extremely” and “very” are used to annoying excess. One of the biggest problems, however, is that the kindergarten-to-grade-three audience for whom the book seems to be intended is not trusted enough to make even simple inferences. The numerous unnecessary modifiers detailing characters’ tone of voice during dialogue, for example, should have been the first things on the editorial chopping block.
Additional problems with the book include inconsistencies of tense, voice, and point of view in particular. The young penguin’s story is initially told from a “limited third person” point of view, and the reader is accordingly shown Pengey’s struggles with naming the new things he sees outside the colony. However, the young penguin’s difficulty identifying objects is suddenly and inexplicably overcome as the author moves to presenting the story of “our hero” from the point of view of a benevolent, omniscient narrator. Now, without any tutoring, Pengey handily identifies cities, circuses, and all manner of novel objects and geographical features. One can only guess that detailing almost every new sight from a penguin chick’s point of view became too onerous for the author to sustain, but the sudden shift does not serve his narrative well.
In his prefatory note, the author communicates something of his love for his literary creation and the goal of his story. “Pengey,” he writes, “already likes you, and it’s his greatest wish that you’ll like him, all his friends, and his bedtime story, too.” Unfortunately love and great wishes alone are not enough to make this narrative work. It’s too bad, as careful prepublication revision--including some fairly radical excision of the many clichéd, sentimental, and wordy passages--might have afforded Pengey’s story a place in young readers’ hearts.
I thank NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book for reviewing purposes.
While The Many Adventures of Pengey Penguin contains enough compelling action to justify its title, it takes more than an eventful plot to make a story about a little penguin fly. Unfortunately, poor writing keeps Pengey earthbound. Part of the problem seems to be that at least initially the author doesn’t seem to know what kind of story he wants to write. The first part of the book leads the reader to expect a semi-fictionalized narrative about a penguin's first days—in the manner of Brenda Guiberson’s The Emperor Lays an Egg. Early chapters are chock full of scientific facts presented in the occasionally clunky language of percentages, measurements, and (human) time. “A span of a mere seven seconds will freeze a baby penguin egg to death,” writes the author in one section. In another, Pengey’s father reflects that “daytime temperatures of forty degrees below zero” will “soon plummet to seventy or eighty below at night”. In a third, we’re told Pengey’s mother can “divert her blood flow away from her skin to make her completely immune to cold water” and “hold her breath when submerged for extremely long periods of time.” Within a few chapters, however, reader expectations are defied when fact-filled passages like those cited above give way to increasingly cutesy allusions to “tummies”, “yummy” food, and “bankeys” (blankets). Diction is not a strong point in this children’s novel; hackneyed expressions--such as “jump for joy”,” toasty warm”, and “fast as his little legs could carry him”--abound, and the words “extremely” and “very” are used to annoying excess. One of the biggest problems, however, is that the kindergarten-to-grade-three audience for whom the book seems to be intended is not trusted enough to make even simple inferences. The numerous unnecessary modifiers detailing characters’ tone of voice during dialogue, for example, should have been the first things on the editorial chopping block.
Additional problems with the book include inconsistencies of tense, voice, and point of view in particular. The young penguin’s story is initially told from a “limited third person” point of view, and the reader is accordingly shown Pengey’s struggles with naming the new things he sees outside the colony. However, the young penguin’s difficulty identifying objects is suddenly and inexplicably overcome as the author moves to presenting the story of “our hero” from the point of view of a benevolent, omniscient narrator. Now, without any tutoring, Pengey handily identifies cities, circuses, and all manner of novel objects and geographical features. One can only guess that detailing almost every new sight from a penguin chick’s point of view became too onerous for the author to sustain, but the sudden shift does not serve his narrative well.
In his prefatory note, the author communicates something of his love for his literary creation and the goal of his story. “Pengey,” he writes, “already likes you, and it’s his greatest wish that you’ll like him, all his friends, and his bedtime story, too.” Unfortunately love and great wishes alone are not enough to make this narrative work. It’s too bad, as careful prepublication revision--including some fairly radical excision of the many clichéd, sentimental, and wordy passages--might have afforded Pengey’s story a place in young readers’ hearts.
I thank NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy of this book for reviewing purposes.
March 14, 2017
My kids loved this book, but I couldn't give it 5 stars because I struggled in reading it. There was no variety in the sentences & I found myself rewriting it on the fly as I read it aloud. A good editor could've really turned this into a better book. But hey, the kids loved the story so I hope the author takes that to heart! (I hate to give a bad review.)
February 10, 2012
I really wanted to love this book. How could you not want to love a book about a little penguin on an adventure to find his missing parents? There were so many issues with this book that it detracted from the story.
The book started very realistic. Pengey the Penguin is born under his father’s care. His mother never returns from her trek to the sea. Unable to care for Pengey and himself, his father leaves to find food. It’s sad and made me think of March of the Penguins. A somewhat realistic story would have worked or should have.
It wasn’t long before Pengey is in contact with humans. Suddenly, he’s communicating with them and eventually talking. I just couldn’t make the shift with the story.
The biggest problem with this book is the language. I really dislike juvenile fiction that cannot pick an age group. You have to write for your audience. The language in this book is simple about 80% of the time and then come these off the wall descriptions and language that is no longer simple.
The writing is not good and that makes me rather sad. I know that someone poured their heart out into this story and apparently it’s well loved. However, the author makes every writing no-no in this book. “He banged his head very badly…” “His last thoughts as he fell asleep were that humans were pretty cool…”
The last thing that annoyed me was some of the details. How does the penguin know what time it was? How did he know the name of the sea? He hadn’t been with his father for very long, how did he know so much information. There were moments I was sure Pengey must be psychic because the information was far too exact for what he should have known.
I love children’s books but there’s more to a book than a great story. Wonderful, lyrical words make up the stories we remember. A child might enjoy this story but it won’t become the one they quote.
The book started very realistic. Pengey the Penguin is born under his father’s care. His mother never returns from her trek to the sea. Unable to care for Pengey and himself, his father leaves to find food. It’s sad and made me think of March of the Penguins. A somewhat realistic story would have worked or should have.
It wasn’t long before Pengey is in contact with humans. Suddenly, he’s communicating with them and eventually talking. I just couldn’t make the shift with the story.
The biggest problem with this book is the language. I really dislike juvenile fiction that cannot pick an age group. You have to write for your audience. The language in this book is simple about 80% of the time and then come these off the wall descriptions and language that is no longer simple.
The writing is not good and that makes me rather sad. I know that someone poured their heart out into this story and apparently it’s well loved. However, the author makes every writing no-no in this book. “He banged his head very badly…” “His last thoughts as he fell asleep were that humans were pretty cool…”
The last thing that annoyed me was some of the details. How does the penguin know what time it was? How did he know the name of the sea? He hadn’t been with his father for very long, how did he know so much information. There were moments I was sure Pengey must be psychic because the information was far too exact for what he should have known.
I love children’s books but there’s more to a book than a great story. Wonderful, lyrical words make up the stories we remember. A child might enjoy this story but it won’t become the one they quote.
July 12, 2012
[This review also appears on Andi's Chapter Books.]
Fred and Beatrice are emperor penguins. One of their offspring is named Pengey. Beatrice takes off for a while, leaving her family behind. Fred gets tired of waiting because he is hungry, so he leaves Pengey to go in search for food. Pengey goes looking for Fred, and ends up getting lost. Numerous adventures ensue.
He encounters numerous predators before meeting Jasper, Wendy, and Bob who are humans. They all become friends. He is particularly attached to Wendy. When the humans get on a plane to fly back to New York, Pengey accidentally gets caught in the wheel well. He is reunited with Wendy in New York and learns how to talk.
Wendy and Pengey get into trouble, because she has illegally brought this penguin from Antarctica. The two of them get separated, and the rest of the book is about Pengey trying to find his way back to her again in New York City.
The story starts as a fictional account of how penguins really live in Antarctica, and is full of facts. The story is cute, but it feels like it coming from all different directions. It starts out like a science book, and then turns into a sweet story of a girl and her penguin. Then there is this crazy bit at a circus with a mad scientist and evil circus master.
Children will probably enjoy reading about Pengey and his various adventures. It just wasn't one of my new favorite chapter books. You will have to check it out for yourself.
I received an eARC in exchange for my honest review of this book.
Fred and Beatrice are emperor penguins. One of their offspring is named Pengey. Beatrice takes off for a while, leaving her family behind. Fred gets tired of waiting because he is hungry, so he leaves Pengey to go in search for food. Pengey goes looking for Fred, and ends up getting lost. Numerous adventures ensue.
He encounters numerous predators before meeting Jasper, Wendy, and Bob who are humans. They all become friends. He is particularly attached to Wendy. When the humans get on a plane to fly back to New York, Pengey accidentally gets caught in the wheel well. He is reunited with Wendy in New York and learns how to talk.
Wendy and Pengey get into trouble, because she has illegally brought this penguin from Antarctica. The two of them get separated, and the rest of the book is about Pengey trying to find his way back to her again in New York City.
The story starts as a fictional account of how penguins really live in Antarctica, and is full of facts. The story is cute, but it feels like it coming from all different directions. It starts out like a science book, and then turns into a sweet story of a girl and her penguin. Then there is this crazy bit at a circus with a mad scientist and evil circus master.
Children will probably enjoy reading about Pengey and his various adventures. It just wasn't one of my new favorite chapter books. You will have to check it out for yourself.
I received an eARC in exchange for my honest review of this book.
May 18, 2016
I really, really disliked this book. I was so disappointed because I learned about it on a list of great first chapter books to read aloud with children. The story premise is cute, but the writing quality is very poor. I found myself editing the book as I read aloud order to make it bearable. It didn't help that the last book I read aloud was the gorgeous "The Trumpet of the Swan." What a contrast! Oh, well. My children enjoyed the story of Pengey, but I won't be reading it to them again.
September 11, 2008
This is one of my all time favorite books. You can call it a modern day, Alice in Wonderland, you can call it a modern day, Pinocchio, I call it a little piece of magic that stole my heart.
This is a great story about a little lost Soul who will not stop until he reaches his goal. This is the beginning of what promises to be a phenomenal series of children's books.
This is a great story about a little lost Soul who will not stop until he reaches his goal. This is the beginning of what promises to be a phenomenal series of children's books.
April 6, 2013
This is a wonderful story with delightful and charming characters. Children will love the antics of Pengey Penguin and his many friends and will learn a lot from his perseverance and unfailing good manners. It is a book to become friends with and read over and over again.
April 10, 2013
I think the Pengey Penguin books are the best books I have ever read. This book is about a little orphan penguin whose parents were lost at sea. Pengey meets a human named Wendy, and Wendy decides to adopt Pengey. This book is wonderful and I hope everyone LOVES it.
December 26, 2015
this book rocks!
Read
April 14, 2019Not long after we started reading Pengey, EVERY penguin we saw became "Pengey." There were nights when our preschooler would opt for a couple of chapters from Pengey over some of the favorite picture books.
We loved it too, though were taken aback about halfway through the book by some of the violence depicted.
We loved it too, though were taken aback about halfway through the book by some of the violence depicted.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews