Tacky the penguin is an odd bird, and his friends have to expect a few surprises when they throw a traditional birdday party to celebrate his "hatchday." Thrilled Tacky inquires about eating his present (a dinner jacket), upends his "fishy ice cream" cone on his head for a party hat, and blows out the candles on his cake with a hair dryer. Fans of the Tacky the Penguin series will enjoy the deadpan humor of the text, the dramatic hilarity of the ink-and-watercolor illustrations, and the reassuring certainty that whatever chaos ensues, everything will turn out happily in the end.

The penguins of Nice Icy Land are hard at work, preparing the "Perfect Party for Tacky the Penguin's Birdday." But things don't go according to plan, and with odd bird Tacky, you really should expect the unexpected. But if your Perfect Party is sliding headlong into disaster, what do you have to lose? Munsinger's appealing illustrations celebrate the humor in Lester's lively text.

It takes a lot of planning to put together the perfect penguin party. And even then... The Nice Icy Land is "crackling with busy-ness." Everyone is deep into preparations for Tacky's Birdday Party. This includes baking, practicing the special song and making a whole slew of cards for their decidedly odd friend. Tacky wakes up the next morning and, in a purple scarf and shirt decorated with yellow flowers, immediately starts doing the Flapwaddle Dance, which he has just invented. A huge "Surprise!!" interrupts him. The party throwers give Tacky a beautiful dinner jacket; he asks whether he should eat it now. All his friends are dumbstruck, and Tacky's characteristically bizarre behavior further astounds them. The cake eventually lands on Tacky's head, where everybody eats from it like a polenta. How imperfect can a party get? Only the big finale remains: It's Twinklewebs the Dance Queen in all her pink glory. So enthusiastic is she that she overdoes it and hurts her web feet. Tacky comes unexpectedly to the rescue, teaching her and the whole party his Flapwaddle Dance. Now that's a great party! Lester's celebration of differences continues to make its point. Both her text and Munsinger's illustrations are sunny and impish. Another enthusiastic embrace of silliness from Antarctica. (Picture book. 3-6)

PreS-Gr 2 In the Nice Icy Land, preparations have been under way for weeks for Tacky the Penguin's Perfect Birdday Party. Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect have thought of everything, including fishy ice cream and surprise entertainment. True to form, though, Tacky invents the Flapwaddle Dance and is busy "flippiting about" when he is summoned to his surprise party. Since he is quite different from the other penguins, he turns their perfect plans into quite the imperfect celebration. When Twinklewebs the Dance Queen from Iglooslavia puts on a less-than-perfect show, only Tacky doing his Flapwaddle Dance can save the day. Munsinger's watercolor illustrations are filled with detail, energy, and humor. Fans of the lovable, offbeat bird will delight in this addition to the series. Nancy Jo Lambert, Ruth Borchardt Elementary, Plano, TX