cover image Baby Penguins Everywhere!

Baby Penguins Everywhere!

Melissa Guion. Philomel, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-25535-9

Guion's debut uses adorable penguins to salute the idea of taking time to recharge. Loosely drawn watercolor and pencil spreads show an unnamed penguin alone on an ice floe: "She enjoyed the peace and quiet of the sea and ice. Yet some days... she felt lonely." A top hat floating in the waves nearby turns out, miraculously, to contain several dozen baby penguins who emerge from it like clowns from a car. They create instant, %E2%80%A8exuberant chaos, frolicking with scarves and waving their stumpy wings in the air. It's easy to enjoy their fun: Guion's forms are simple but expressive, and her spreads convey gentle excitement. The new penguin mother is exhausted, though. A page turn shows her sitting alone with her eyes closed: "Happy as she was, she needed something. Just a minute to herself." Restored, she rejoins her family. Guion doesn't just explain to young readers why a parent might need an occasional break, she suggests that they, too, can listen for an inner voice that tells them they're in need of quiet time. Ages 2%E2%80%935. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Dec.)