by Polly Dunbar

 

When Ben rips the paper off his present, inside he finds Penguin. Ben can't wait to play with Penguin but soon discovers that Penguin isn't the active or talkative creature he expected him to be.

 

Ben thinks he's being ignored. Ben gets angry. What will it take to make Ben's penguin speak? When Penguin finally does, it's the best thing that it could ever say and Ben learns that sometimes friendship isn't always as you expect it to be.

 

Children will delight in the imaginative relationship between a little boy and his penguin. Its whimsical and comical illustrations match the fun, quirky text. This book will help children understand others who communicate differently to themselves.

 

This book was shortlisted for the 2007 Book Trust award and the 2008 Kate Greenaway award for illustration.

 

Polly Dunbar studied illustration at Brighton Art School in the UK, and now lives and works in London.

 

Paperback. 32 pages.

 

Age 2-5