TURTLE IS SO excited by the book about penguins that his dad reads him at bedtime that he decides he wants to be a penguin. So the next morning, he creates a penguin costume, grabs his book, and heads for the schoolbus. His kindergarten classmates are thrilled. They all want to be penguins too! Turtle shows his book to his teacher, and all day long he and his classmates do as the penguins do—they slide down the slide on their bellies during recess, form a waddling conga line at music time, and snack on goldfish crackers. It’s a super-cool penguin day. Turtle thinks he’d like to be a penguin every day. But, that night, his dad has a new book to read—and this one is all about monkeys!
This delightful picture book from Valeri Gorbachev celebrates both the power of books, and the joys of imaginative play in all its dress-up-box glory. And, with the extra penguin facts at the end of the book, this is a perfect blueprint for teachers planning penguin days of their own.
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About the Author:
Valeri Gorbachev has both written and illustrated dozens of picture books in his long career. His most recent book for Knopf is Go! Poetry in Motion by Dee Lillegard. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
From School Library Journal:
Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 1—This endearing tale traces the activities of a young turtle through a 24-hour period. His father reads a bedtime story about penguins, and Little Turtle takes it all in, the transformation beginning in his dreams. The next morning, he puts his grandfather's black jacket over his head and waddles off to school, book in tow. His friends are delighted. The teacher, who clearly understands the value of a teachable moment, encourages the class of critters to pass balls to each other using just their feet (as penguins do with their eggs) and to slip down the slide on their bellies (again imitating their role models). The fantasy continues through the youngster's evening routines—until his dad opens a volume on monkeys. Cheerful watercolors and expressive line art imbue the matter-of-fact narrative with personality. Gorbachev's compositions range from cameos isolated against expansive white backgrounds to detailed dream sequences bleeding off spreads. This nurturing tale celebrates the inspiration and information found in books, the invention bubbling up from a child who is read to, and the quality of learning that is possible when a teacher seizes the moment. From the cover art mimicking a tuxedo to the penguin facts at the conclusion, the design and content are one.—Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library
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"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherKnopf Books for Young Readers
- Publication date2008
- ISBN 10 0375843744
- ISBN 13 9780375843747
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages40
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Rating