5 Favorite Penguin Books

It's time for "5 Fave Friday"!  Here at Play to Learn, we are getting read to study Penguins and Polar Bears.  We will spend about a week learning all about Penguins, then another week learning about Arctic Animals.  During the last week of January, we will tie everything together by comparing these "Polar Opposites."

So, this week I am sharing our:

#1 Penguins, Penguins, Everywhere! by Bob Barner

I like to use this book first when we are learning about penguins.  The rhyming text and simple, colorful illustrations are very appealing to my young preschoolers.  I also love this book because it includes descriptions of different species of penguins.  It is a great way to kick off our penguin unit.

#2 Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester (and, of course, to celebrate Sochi 2014 we will also read Tacky and the Winter Games)
OK, I love Tacky!  He is so awkward and wacky and unabashed and just plain likable.  Even if we were not doing a penguin unit, I would find a way to work in Tacky the Penguin.

 

#3 Little Penguin's Tale by Audrey Wood
Grand Nanny Penguin offers a cautionary tale to her 7 little penguins.  Children love this story because they anticipate the trouble that Little Penguin will encounter!  I love this story because it provides the opportunity to introduce my preschoolers to homophones-- the "tale" is about Little Penguin's "tail".  After we read this book, I will often notice the students referring to stories as "tales."  How great is that?!

#4 Penguins! by Gail Gibbons
There is a tendency to avoid non-fiction with preschoolers because of the length of the text, but that would be a huge mistake.  Preschoolers are thirsty for facts!  They love to learn new information and go home to tell their families what they know.

Gail Gibbons' books are fantastic, but they are long and a bit verbose for preschoolers.  To adapt them, I use highlighter tape.  Before reading the book to the class, I go through each page and highlight 1 or 2 important sentences.  When I read it aloud to them, I am able to easily locate the information I want to share with them before their attention spans expire!

#5 The Emperor Lays an Egg by Brenda Cuiberson
The beautiful illustrations in this book describe how the Emperor penguins work together to care for their eggs and raise their chicks.  After reading this book, it is fun to use a ball or beanbag and have the students practice transferring their "egg" back and forth on their feet!

Those are our 5 Faves this Friday.  Now it is your turn!  Which penguin books do you like to read with your children?

Have fun playing, learning and reading together!