School Library Journal (Tue Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

K-Gr 3— Frost tells the classic role swap story with little penguin Chip, who is determined to stay up late. Wise mother penguin keeps her cool; she knows exactly how it rolls at bedtime. Young readers and their caretakers will laugh along as Chip gets a taste of what his mom goes through to get him to bed. There is the bathroom check, the tuck in, the stuffy choosing, the story time, and more. Chip finally thinks he can now go watch TV in peace, but no, his mom calls frantically from the bedroom where there is a spider. She also gives Chip her to-do list of things that need to be done before morning, which Chip takes on with gusto. A funny montage follows of Chip doing these chores. Finally, the time to relax arrives and Mom appears again to get a glass of water. Before she can go back to bed, Chip, eyes clamping shut, wants to swap back. Mom offers for him to be the grown-up again the next day since he did a pretty good job, but Chip declines. He would rather be a robot puppy. Large panels filled with colorful, cozy scenes have just the right amount of details to add to the dialogue. The final panel, showing everyone tucked in at the igloo, is especially homey. Frost conveys reactions and moods with simple pen strokes. Give this to fans of series like "Friendbots" by Vicky Fang and "Clark the Shark" by Bruce Hale and Guy Francis. VERDICT Young comic fans will relate to Chip and want more stories about this funny penguin.— Elisabeth LeBris

ALA Booklist (Mon Dec 09 00:00:00 CST 2024)

Chip the penguin is not tired and suggests to his mother that they switch places: she'll go to bed and he'll be the grown-up and watch TV all night. Chip's mom is no dummy; she goes along with his idea but makes him jump through all the hoops she presumably has to jump through every night while putting Chip to bed. Chip tucks her in, finds her preferred stuffed animal, reads her a story, and, just when he thinks he'll finally get to watch TV, his mother calls him back and hands him a list of things that need to be done before morning. Being a grown-up is exhausting! The artwork is deceptively simple, with much of the communication between mother and son happening through their facial expressions, while Chip's solutions to completing his mother's to-do list are shown through sight gags. Easily relatable to most readers at bedtime, this early-reader graphic novel is as charming as it is amusing.

Kirkus Reviews (Mon Oct 07 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A young penguin finds a creative way to postpone bedtimeMom knocks on Chip's door. It's time for bed! But Chip's too busy. Glued to a makeshift computer screen, with a stuffed toy "assistant" looking on, Chip has emails to send. So the negotiations begin. Chip proposes switching roles with Mom. She'll be the kid and go to bed, and Chip will be the grown-up and watch TV. Mom agrees and plays the game with great skill and definite cunning: She requires Chip to tuck her in, read her a bedtime story, bring her favorite stuffed animal, and more. She also gives "grown-up" Chip a list of chores that she usually does in the evenings. Chip completes them all and finally gets to watch TV. An exhausted Chip has had enough; it's time to be a kid again! This tale starts off with a quick guide to reading comics, defining terms and explaining how to read the panels in the right order. The cartoon artwork adds details and dimension, greatly enhancing the spare text. Perched on skinny stick legs, Chip and Mom are an adorably anthropomorphic pair whose home is an igloo in a frozen landscape. Frost makes great use of their body language and facial expressions to convey emotion. Young readers will be drawn into this familiar family dynamic, recognizing their own bedtime struggles and forays into independence.A charming, funny tale of bedtime antics.(Graphic early reader. 4-9)