Don't Give Up, Josephine!

by Hans Wilhelm

Josephine, a young penguin, is discouraged by her lack of success in school, but discovers that it is better to keep trying than to give up.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

30 pages, Hardcover

First published March 12, 1985

Reviews

[Okrylena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book I've ever read in Norwegian!
A very nice children story about friendship, support and persistence.

"Det er kanskje vanskelig til å begynne med, men etterhvert blir det lettere."
❤️

[Julie]

From the International Children's Digital Library, I read Ikke gi opp, Josefine! in Norwegian. I could not read the language but I did recognize that Josefine was the name of the main character in the book. In order to read this book I studied the illustrations in order to comprehend the plot. Here is my best guess: This is the story of Josephine, a young penguin that lives in the Arctic. The story begins with Josefine and her rabbit friends skating along and ending up in the sea. The are plucked out of the sea by a seal, who twirls Josefine on his nose. Josefine and her friends play badminton with an octopus, box with a walrus and run through the snow with a polar bear. Eventually, Josefine arrives home by waterskiing with a dolphin. Josefine's parents greet her. They seem upset. The next day Josefine has to go to a school or class. In the class she is with other penguins and they are all learning how to dance. During the class, the other penguins make fun of her because she is sitting alone on a rock, with her head hanging low. Josefine's friends come along and try to cheer her up. The next day, Josefine returns to class and seems to be a hit. She is hopping or bouncing along perfectly and she gains the admiration of the other penguins. At the end of the day, Josefine returns to her friends to share her success story. Now all her friends want to dance too! Although I could not read Norwegian, I think the illustrations were very clear and I was able to decipher the gist of the story. I would recommend this book to young readers aged 5 to 7 years old because I think they could relate to a social situation in which they did not feel accepted by their peers.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories in foreign languages are always a good way to try and capture a language' rhythm and melody... I enjoy Hans Wilhelm's books a lot.

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon 15 October 2019.

[Antonina Nowicka · Rating 3 out of 5]

To moja pierwsza książka, którą przeczytałam po norwesku! :D

[Cecile · Rating 1 out of 5]

A male wearing a tutu.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no idea how this beautiful, deeply wonderful children's book could possibly only get 2 stars from the. Other readers. I read this book for the first time when I was 4 and again now so 30 odd years later to my child and the message is clear: don't give up and you will achieve. This book is out of print now but if you can find a copy it is one of the simplest and best stories to read to your pre-schooler child.

[Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ikke gi opp hvis du strever med å lære noe du ikke kan. Det er morsomt å lære nye ting. Noe som du svært gjerne vil gjøre. [...] Derfor skal jeg fortelle deg om Josefine i dag. Da hun skulle lære noe hun ikke kunne, og som hun heller ikke hadde lyst å gjøre, ble det virkelig vanskelig. Men vanskelig er ikke det samme som umulig!

[Huda Fel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Josephine's parents insisted to take her to the penguins' school to learn how to dance like penguins.
she hated it so much.