365 Penguins

365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet.

I know, I know! There is a plethora of penguin books out on the market right now.  But this one is different than all the rest and well worth sharing.

On New Year's Day, a knock on the door brings a package with one penguin in it.  The package also has a note: I'm number 1. Feed me when I'm hungry.  No sender's name is on the package.  The next day the postman brings another box with another penguin and so on.  The book goes through the family trying to organize the penguins into piles, the months and days of the year, and the math of feeding the many penguins.  By the end of the year, there are 365 penguins in the house and the entire house is covered in fish.  But finally the family discovers who has been sending them the packages!

This book is a lot of fun with illustrations that are both modern and have a 70s vibe.  The illustrations add a lot to the story, especially when showing the futile attempts to organize the penguins neatly.  Children who enjoy math will like this book.  Even children in middle elementary will enjoy it because it has such a good sense of humor.  I would recommend not reading it aloud to a group.  The pictures have small details that are fun to examine.