“Whoever heard of a pink penguin?” and “BOYS CAN’T BE PINK!” exclaims Patrick when he inexplicably wakes up covered in the pastel hue. After being teased at school, the young bird swims to the coast of Africa, where he finds hundreds of flamingos—boys and girls—all pink. While the flamingos skim their long, curvy beaks to catch fish, stand on one leg to take a nap and fly to their nesting ground at sunset, Patrick is left coughing and sputtering, hopelessly wobbling and all alone. His return to the South Pole elicits wonder and, finally, acceptance from his classmates—and himself. Chamberlain’s stylized cartoon illustrations with vibrant splashes of color exaggerate the silliness and cheer as this penguin learns to march to the beat of his own drummer. For another look at unconventional penguins, pair with And Tango Makes Three. (Picture book. 4-8)
