Splash

PreSchool-Grade 1  “This “day in the life” tribute offers stunning photos of Adelie penguins and their young in their natural Antarctic habitat. As a counting book, however, Splash! is less successful. Some of the penguins are swallowed up in the book’s gutter, making them difficult to count. There are no facts here, and no story is presented. One line of text per double-page spread simply takes the endearing animals from wake up to eating to playing and, finally, to rest. An additional luxury item for children who will be satisfied just looking at the pictures.”

Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK
From Booklist

Ages 2-6. Crisp color photos of Adelie penguins illustrate this slim counting exercise that also tells a story. “Wake up, baby penguin,” reads the text on page one, which faces a picture of a single baby bird. The following pages, featuring birds in increasing numbers up to 10, show the adult penguins waking, heading to the sea for food, and returning before a storm to feed and snuggle their chicks. The birds’ inherent charm comes across in the bright photos of the group waddling across the snow with the cool blue of the icy water in the background. A good nonfiction option for beginning readers. Gillian Engberg
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