Book Title: Pip Finds a Home (available here)
Author/Illustrator: Elena Topouzoglou
Publisher: New Frontier Publishing
Publication Date: Oct 2019
Most Suitable For: KS1
Reviewed By: Chris Whitney, Literacy Consultant
What a wonderful read! I enjoyed every page – both the beautiful illustrations and the delightful story work together to produce a book perfectly suitable for early readers and those with a love of penguins and all things Antarctic!
Pip arrives at the South Pole after a long journey. He dives into the water and swims ashore to find other penguins. Several different types of penguins meet Pip; each questions what type of penguin he might be. He doesn’t seem to be quite the same as any of them. However, each penguin he meets makes him feel welcome as they wonder what he is.
‘You can still play with us,’ said one of the penguins.
Pip enjoys his time in the Antarctic – he jumps like a Macaroni; he swims like a Gentoo; he plays in the snow and splashes in the water. Does it matter that he is different?
Finally another black and white bird comes waddling past and tells Pip that he is, in fact, a Great Auk and lives in the north. Pip accepts the invitation to return and waves goodbye to his newfound friends.
Once the story is over, the reader finds three pages full of information about each of the penguins featured in the story – including the Emperor Penguin, the Gentoo Penguin, the Adelie Penguin and Macaroni Penguin. There is also information about the Great Auk – a flightless bird that once lived in the Northern Hemisphere, but is now sadly extinct.
Supporting the information are beautiful illustrations of each penguin. The illustrations also by Elena Topouzoglou, of both the penguins and the backdrop of the Antarctic, draw the reader in to this icy wonderland and its inhabitants.
This book combines a simple storyline with facts about penguins and amazing illustrations. It is a pleasure and a delight to read.
———————
You can order Pip Finds a Home online or from your local bookshop or library.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending us a review copy of this book and to Review Panel member Chris for reviewing it.
Where next?
> Visit our Reading for Pleasure Hub
> Browse our Topic Booklists
> View our printable year group booklists.
> See our Books of the Month.
