Book Description
for I Am Not a Penguin by Liz Wong
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
An enthusiastic pangolin is eager to share information about its species but faces challenges right from the start of its “Meet the Pangolin” presentation. “Did somebody say penguins?” asks a pig in attendance. “I love penguins,” adds a giraffe. A pangolin has a long tongue. “Like a frog!” notes the frog. “Or an anteater!” adds the anteater. The pig is now very confused. As the pangolin continues, other animals interrupt to suggest, among other things, that a pangolin is a bear (because of its long, sharp claws), a skunk (because it sprays stinky liquid when threatened), and an armadillo (because it curls up in a ball to protect itself). The pangolin is already at wit’s end when a sunglasses-wearing, surfboard-toting penguin saunters by. “Surf’s up!” The excited audience heads off in pursuit. The dejected pangolin adds a sign to its presentation board: “Canceled due to Penguin.” It turns out one audience member didn’t leave, however: a young girl genuinely interested in hearing about pangolins. A hilarious, ironic twist provides the perfect conclusion to a delightfully chaotic and informative story that offers additional facts about pangolins at volume’s end. Gouache illustrations show the friendly, slightly comic cast of animals, and one realistic brown-skinned, black-haired girl, against uncluttered white backgrounds . (Ages 4-7)
CCBC Choices 2022. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2022. Used with permission.