IF YOU WERE A PENGUIN
by Florence Minor and illustrated by Wendell Minor
The second from this husband-and-wife team (Christmas Tree!, 2005) explores the many things that penguins can do and suggests to readers that they can also share in these activities. For instance, penguins swim, sing duets, wear tuxedos and make funny faces. “If you were a penguin…/ You could live underground / or on top of the ice. / Penguin pals all around / make it twice as nice!” Full-bleed paintings fill the pages with huge, realistic close-ups of many different species of penguins. Rhymes that start strong in the beginning weaken toward the end, steering the story rather than serving it. While the text falls flat, it does give illustrator Minor a window of opportunity for some clever images that readers will remember long after the words are forgotten. Backmatter includes lists of fun facts and websites to consult for further information as well as an identification key for all the species featured. Not a standout as either a rhyming picture book or a beginning nonfiction title about penguins. (Picture book. 3-7)