Book Review: 10 Reasons to Love... a Penguin by Catherine Barr, Hanako Clulow

10 Reasons to Love... a Penguin is a children's book written by Catherine Barr and illustrated by Hanako Clulow. Penguins are cute and special birds! Did you know that they go on incredible journeys? Or that they toboggan on their stomachs? Discover ten reasons why penguins are amazing and five ways you can show they love them in this gorgeous picture book. A must for any young animal enthusiast and a fantastic introduction to environmental issues.

10 Reasons to Love... a Penguin is a delightful non fiction picturebook about penguins that explains why we should all the the 18 different types of penguins. The illustrations are very realistic, and labeled to note the type of penguin pictured and the other animals included. The facts are interesting and well worded so that the information is understandable to a wide range of reading and age levels, but without boring older or more advanced readers. I like that there were a few little tips for readers to implement that can help penguins, and other wildlife, survive and thrive. I thought I knew a good deal about penguins, but I learned some things from the read- like that they have a special gland that allows them to sneeze the salt water that they ingest while eating. The only thing that I found lacking in my digital galley was a list of resources or further reading in the endpages. The book encourages readers to research and check in on several things, which is great, but giving the links or at least pointing in the right direction for further reading would have been valuable to readers. Maybe it will be included in the final hardcover version, but it was not part of the digital galley which is what I have access to, and that disappointed me greatly.

10 Reasons to Love... a Penguin is a book with a lot going for it, particularly the great information and illustrations. However, I was disappointed in the lack of additional resources and information in the endpages to be very disappointing, and that lack cost the book a star in my rating system.