A penguin is out walking across the ice when she comes across an abandoned egg. Worried that it won’t survive she takes it back to her nest where the egg eventually hatches. As the chick begins to grow she realizes he’s not quite like other penguins. At penguin school he really doesn’t fit in. He can’t keep up with his classmates with their penguin games. He can’t swim. He can’t catch fish. He can’t slide on his belly. The other young penguins make fun of how he looks and in the face of all the bullying he grows sadder and sadder. Then one day this unusual penguin is sat all alone and notices a magnificent bird soaring up above. He realizes that this bird looks just like he does. And then he flaps his wings. And he can fly. And he realizes he wasn’t a penguin after all.
Of course the moral of this picture book is familiar to anybody who knows the classic Hans Christian Andersen story “The Ugly Duckling” and this enjoyable modern retelling reveals how the truism of the tale remains relevant across the ages. Believe in yourself. Accept people for what they are rather than what you think they should be. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Though in this case, the cover of THE UNUSUAL PENGUIN features one of illustrator Anna Fernandez’s utterly charming images of the young misfit chick so an exception can be made. Madelaine MacRae’s text is written in rhyme and it’s vibrant, witty and flows easily. The concluding page perfectly encapsulates the moral of the story: “So if you feel small, unusual or strange, don’t jump to the conclusion that you have to change. You are perfectly perfect just as you are. Find your own wings, you’ll fly high and go far.”
The illustrations are of a very high standard with the transformation from outcast chick to regal bird beautifully rendered. Fernandez captures the sadness of the young chick, as he’s surrounded by his gleeful penguin school mates, finding touching expressions by small skillful touches such as the placing of his eyebrows or a slump in his posture.
Written by Madelaine MacRae with illustrations by Anna Fernandez, THE UNUSUAL PENGUIN is a beautiful picture book with an important and always timely message. Young children will love the story and, just as importantly, adults will enjoy sharing its carefully crafted words and delightful illustrations.
~Kent Lane IndieReader