FRISKY FAMILIES!

Chatty Pip the penguin covers the ins and outs of these flightless birds.

Pip starts by introducing readers to her family, a close-knit colony of chubby, personable emperor penguins who live at the South Pole. (A “family album” appears in the endpapers.) Pip mentions other penguin breeds who also reside there and imparts scientific facts about penguins, including mating and breeding habits (“love is in the air!”), some statistics (emperors can hold their breath for up to 32 minutes underwater), and the fact that they can’t fly. Though the information is sound, the book has a whimsical flair. Pip’s relatives are depicted wearing articles of clothing and other accoutrements; they engage in jocular repartee with Pip, who invites readers to participate in various seek-and-find exercises. The penguins are covered in blue-and-white feathers instead of their actual black-and-white ones (and gray ones for chicks). Overall, this title, originally published in Belgium and the Netherlands and translated from Dutch, is sweetly appealing and will engage children. They’ll appreciate the characters’ warm, winning personalities, as well as the delightful, lively illustrations, cast primarily in soft blues to reflect the icy setting. The book concludes with a cautionary message from a New Zealand penguin scientist and a seek-and-find quiz that will require children to re-read; answers are included.

A light, captivating introduction to penguins.