A Penguin Like Me

by Marcus Pfister, David Henry Wilson (Translator)

Overview

A penguin is a penguin is a penguin in this picture book about community and acceptance, from best-selling author of The Rainbow Fish Marcus Pfister!

At first glance, all penguins look the same. But a closer look reveals that every penguin is different. Theo is the smartest of them all, but doesn’t want to show it. Felix has short wings, Sarah loves to draw more than talk, and Lena is attracted to Ida. Each penguin has worries and fears, strengths and dreams. And yet, together they form a community.

Amid a picturesque ice landscape with colors ranging from cool to radiantly warm, Marcus Pfister introduces a diverse penguin society in which everyone is allowed to be themself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735845589
Publisher:	NorthSouth Books
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,079,265
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Marcus Pfister was born in Bern, Switzerland. After studying at the Art School of Bern, he apprenticed as a graphic designer and worked in an advertising agency before becoming self-employed in 1984. His debut picture book, The Sleepy Owl, was published by NorthSouth in 1986, but his big breakthrough came six years later with The Rainbow Fish. Marcus has illustrated over sixty-five books that have been translated into more than sixty languages and received countless international awards. He lives with his wife, Debora, and their children in Bern.

David Henry Wilson, born in London, is a playwright, novelist, children’s book author, and translator. His plays have been produced in many well-known theaters in Great Britain as well as abroad, and his children’s books—especially the Jeremy James series—have been translated into many languages. His novel The Coachman Rat received critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic. For many years he lectured at the universities of Bristol (England) and Konstanz (Germany), where he founded the university theater. His translations from French and German cover many subjects, ranging from literary theory, art, travel, and general culture to children’s novels and picture books.

Editorial Reviews

12/04/2023

“From a distance we all look the same—simply a large group of penguins,” writes Pfister (The Rainbow Fish), referencing a large cast of lightly anthropomorphized characters who inhabit a minimally detailed, blue-white Antarctic landscape. But as the pages introduce various members of the colony by name, readers encounter an assemblage of birds who represent a wide range of personalities and characteristics. Among them, there’s Timmy, who masks a deep inner sadness by being the colony clown; “cheerful and chirpy” Felix, whose “short wings make things more challenging”; detached-seeming Leon, who is actually “very observant and always on the alert”; and Lena, who is “head over heels” in love with Ida. The lack of a narrative arc gives the book a catalog feel, and some character descriptions feel outmoded, but the sympathetic accounting, which eschews employing labels for specific traits (“Sarah loves to draw more than talk. She notices sounds and smells and textures that others miss”), offers a real feel for the penguins’ individual yearnings to both be themselves and belong, and ends on a well-meaning connective phrase: “The main thing is that we’re all penguins. And we belong together.” Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

A tale as sparkly as its art.

on Franz-Ferdinand the Dancing Walrus Booklist

"A Penguin Like Me involves maintaining happy and healthy relationships among a community of diverse individuals and emphasizes the beauty of acknowledging, accepting, and sharing everyone’s unique perspective."

NY Journal of Books

"A beautifully illustrated introduction to diversity. These adorable penguins share who they are and remind us that everyone is different and that's what makes being a person such a wonderful experience."

Main Point Books - Vaughn L.

"A sweet and accessible exploration of how our identities all contribute something to our communities! All penguins are different, in terms of abilities, interests, and identities - but all of them are important to their friends and life on their iceberg. The perfect addition to a shelf exploring diversity!"

librarian Maddie M.

06/28/2024

PreS-Gr 2—"From a distance we all look the same—simply a large group of penguins. But every one of us is different. And yet, although we're each different, we form a community." This gentle book is about accepting and celebrating differences. The beginning and closing endpapers include a variety of penguins in different groupings, and the text, "Every penguin is different. But each one is a penguin." Told in the first person by a caring and empathetic unnamed penguin narrator, the story introduces penguins by name to readers, while the narrator explains how they are different. Without specifically naming them, neurodiversity, mental health, and gender nonconformity are some of the differences Pfister describes in his text and illustrations. Children are free to see themselves, or perhaps someone else, in the words and pictures. At the end of the book, the narrator mentions, "By the way, did you know that it's almost impossible to tell if a penguin is a girl...or a boy...or something in between from the outside? Maybe that doesn't matter. The main thing is that we're all penguins. And we belong together." VERDICT In a gentle, conversational manner, Pfister's penguin narrator invites readers to reconsider concepts of sameness; this is a wonderful addition to any collection of books celebrating diversity in its many forms.—Melissa King

School Library Journal

2024-02-03
Readers meet several members of a penguin colony.

“Every penguin is different. But each one is a penguin.” Starting with the endpapers, Pfister’s inimitable art style soars, depicting 22 comical, anthropomorphic seabirds cavorting against a gray watercolor background. Sadly, the text, translated from German, quickly becomes wordy, hammering home a message of inclusivity. What little plot there is involves newcomer Lucas, who looks a bit different from the others and is wondering if he’ll be accepted. There’s no doubt the others will embrace him, however, since everyone seems to like the outgoing Lucas. Next, we’re introduced to 11 other penguins, all different but integral parts of the colony. Timmy masks depression by clowning, Sofia exhibits synesthesia, and Felix, whose short wings make life more challenging, is ceaselessly “cheerful and chirpy”—a somewhat condescending depiction of physical disability. And “while the other girl penguins have crushes on boy penguins, Lena is head over heels in love with Ida. She loves being in love and having butterflies in her tummy. And one day she’ll tell Ida how she feels.” The relentlessly long descriptions of the various characters—occasionally with sly humor—may reassure some children, but by the time Lucas finally re-emerges, many will feel shortchanged and possibly patronized.

A well-meaning but heavy-handed lesson in accepting differences. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews