Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Penelope comes to be known as the Penguin Lady when people start sending her different species of penguins, from "one penguin from the Galapagos Islands" to ten Emperor penguins. The story reads like a laundry list of penguins; four pages at the back provide more information. Illustrations clearly portray the birds' characteristics, but both art and text are bland.

Kirkus Reviews

A parade of penguin species, overlaid by a veneer-thin storyline. Starting with one Galapagos penguin and going on up to 10 Emperors, a succession of avian arrivals fills up the house of penguin-lover Penelope Parker--a "stout" redhead who wears only black and white in Rogers' smooth-surfaced, increasingly crowded illustrations and, just like her surprise guests, "waddle[s] when she walk[s]." Depicted with reasonable attention to details of beak, crest and other physical features, the feathered interlopers snooze atop the piano, pose in front of the television or paddle about the pond in the yard until Penelope at last trucks them away to the zoo, then goes off to buy a dog. Several pages of penguin information (including a cogent note in the fine print that, no, "it isn't possible… to have penguins as pets") and discussion questions follow this predictable episode, supplemented by further resources available on the publisher's web site. A digital version with added features is also available. A lightweight, undistinguished addition to the flock of similar penguin profiles. Some newly fledged readers may waddle its way. (Informational picture book. 6-8)

School Library Journal (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2012)

PreS-Gr 2 The Penguin Lady is portrayed in vibrantly colored illustrations: she dresses in black and white, decorates with black and white, waddles, and loves these birds. She is delighted to receive a penguin from the Galapagos Islands for her birthday, two Rockhoppers from Argentina, three Chinstraps from Antarctica, four baby African penguins, five Little Blue penguins, six Royal penguins from an island near Antarctica, seven King penguins from the Falkland Islands, eight Ad&3;lies from Antarctica, nine Macaroni penguins from Argentina, and ten Emperor penguins from Antarctica. They all roam throughout the house, yard, and pond until the Penguin Lady gives them to the local zoo. This book serves as a simple counting book and an introduction to 10 species. A four-page activity section includes illustrations of the penguins with brief descriptions of physical characteristics; a world map; and a height chart. Acknowledging the far-fetched nature of this whimsical story, the author states that "it isn't possible for individuals to have penguins as pets" and encourages readers to adopt a species with a donation to a zoo or conservation program. Offer young readers Jonathan London's Little Penguin: Emperor of Antarctica (Marshall Cavendish, 2011) and Wendell Minor's If You Were a Penguin (HarperCollins, 2009) for stronger stories and solid facts about these intriguing birds. Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI