Mr Penguin and the Lost Treasure: Book 1

Product Information

Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - Indeed, what I most appreciate about these books, (apart from the charm and silliness of Mr. Penguin and the cool competence of the unflappable Colin), is how well it combines plot, action and a fast pace, while never outrunning the younger reader. Some elementary and early middle grade books are too simple and some are unnecessarily convoluted, but the Mr. Penguin books hit that sweet middle spot between those extremes. Mr Penguin advertises in ‘The Cityville Times,’ looking for adventure and this comes when he gets his first call, from Boudicca Bones at the Museum of Extraordinary Objects. Ms Bones is desperate to find the treasure that her great-great-great-grandfather buried somewhere in the museum and Mr Penguin is sure he can help her. The drawing supports all of that wonderfully. The lines are crisp and clear, and color is understated. The drawings illustrate what's going on in the story, so they are both amusing in their own right and helpful in understanding and following the action. Whimsy is in the eye of the beholder, but at least to me these characters just come across as fun and friendly. With twenty three short chapters, lots of illustrations, a funny cast of characters and an exciting adventurous story, this is certainly a winner. Best of all, there is a second book in the series planned; “Mr Penguin and the Fortress of Secrets.”

Mr Penguin and the Fortress of Secrets - Goodreads Mr Penguin and the Fortress of Secrets - Goodreads

I also adore that Smith is dedicated to reviving a rich tapestry of quintessentially eccentric British vocabulary for another generation with such delights as 'kerfuffle' and 'skeddaddled' dotting through the otherwise nicely accessible with a touch of stretching vocabulary . All in all, a fantastic, hamsterific, adventurous story with great new characters (both villains and non-villains) and I just couldn’t stop reading. I had to finish it. I will definitely be getting the next books, though I am not sure if it will be soon or if I will be waiting until my vacation in August. Would make fun summer reads~ Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks. Home > I enjoyed it, although perhaps not as much as my 7yo and 10yo who were utterly enamoured with it. Mister penguin is a very likeable protagonist and the plot is fun if a little derivative (cough demon headmaster cough). The jokes are solid and it's nicely written. Probably a slight improvement on the first book. When one of Mr. Penguin’s pals disappears in the middle of the night, the gang leaps into action and unveils an evil hypnotist’s plan to take over the world. Can Mr. Penguin foil this perilous plot and get home in time for a fish finger sandwich?Colin the kung fu spider is a hoot and the tone of the book was a good level for primary school children. I liked the fact the antagonist was a woman (initially assumed by myself and the characters to be a man) and also that the twins' traditional gender roles were flipped with the girl being messy and scientific and the boy being tidy and no help in a crisis. This sort of gentle representation is so good to see in modern storytelling, especially books aimed at children. I thoroughly enjoy reading anything by Alex T Smith as his distinctive style of writing is a joy to read both for children and adults and lends itself well to those with dramatic tendencies for the rich opportunities for silly voices.

Mr Penguin and the Lost Treasure by Alex T. Smith - Waterstones

I love that despite them getting away with the stone and seemingly going into another adventure, the stone is still important. There is someone lurking in the shadows of Schneedorf-on-the-Peak, someone with the same symbol as the people in the beginning. I was just very eager to see how it would all tie together and if this mysterious stranger is good or.. evil. The drawings, often overlooked or dismissed in books like this, are just right and deserve comment. They are amusing on their own, but of more importance they are inserted at just the right points in the narrative and complement the action in a fashion that guides the younger reader through the story. This isn't by any stretch a graphic novel, but is designed more like a novel that has graphics that actually help explain and illustrate the action. I cannot tell you just how much I love these books!! I don't do this often, but I am definitely buying these for my personal collection. They are hilarious, fantastic mysteries and such good writing and illustrations. If your library does not have them, they are new so definitely ask if they can be added to the collection. Things really take a turn for the worse when Mr. Penguin learns the real crooks are closer to snatching the loot than he thought! Can Mr. Penguin foil this perilous plot and get home in time for a fish finger sandwich? This was an absolute hoot of a book! I enjoyed reading it aloud to my kids and they kept begging for the next chapter and the next chapter, and now the next book. Can’t wait to continue our adventures with Mr. Penguin!First up a BIG BIG thank you to Santa, aka my husband, for gifting this one for Christmas! I am so hyped to get further in this series as the first book was just so much fun! I haven't read the first installment (my husband did) but I enjoyed reading this one aloud to my son. We read this aloud and it is great for a range of ages even when Tinyfae was 2 as she was rapt by the story and would proclaim "Oh no!" Or "Mr Penguin!!" at appropriate moments and admonishing me if I wanted to take a break between chapters!

Mr. Penguin Book Series (In Order 1-4) Mr. Penguin Book Series (In Order 1-4)

When Pippin discovers she possesses magical powers, she uses her newfound skills to investigate the mysterious water shortage in Funsprings.This hilarious fantasy adventure will have readers rolling around with laughter. Claude is no ordinary dog - he leads an extraordinary life! When Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes set off for work, Claude heads for the city, where pigeons, beret shops and robberies await.Mr. Penguin is new to the Adventure business, and untested, but he proves his mettle in this tale. Smith excels at creating characters who are a bit innocent and inexperienced, but full of good instincts, good intentions, and the right stuff. I think these are great sorts of main characters for kids books. Mr. Penguin isn't foolish or sappy or cowardly or "silly". Like the book's readers, he's keen to have adventures, have experiences, do right, and "grow up". That you can have all of that with some excitement and a lot of laughs is just super extra bonus time. Mr Penguin has decided to open his own adventuring business. He and his trusty assistant, Colin, a spider, are ready to be there when you need an adventurer. On his very first day, Mr Penguin is called by the owners of The Museum of Extraordinary Objects to come help them find a treasure. But adventuring turns out to be a whole lot more long, tiring, dangerous, and hungry than Mr Penguin thought it would be. Can he and Colin make it as adventurers?

Mr Penguin and the Tomb of Doom by Alex T. Smith - Waterstones Mr Penguin and the Tomb of Doom by Alex T. Smith - Waterstones

This time out Mr. Penguin is in full Indiana Jones mode, and the author makes no apologies for that. We have a handy leather satchel instead of a whip, but the gung-ho derring-do is identical. Indeed, possibly as a joke, we open with a ballroom scene about the recovery of an object that plays out very much like the Indiana "Temple of Doom" movie, so there may be a bit of a winking nod there. Once we get through that cold open the real plot starts and it is both easy for a younger reader to follow and inventive and fast paced. LoveReading4Kids exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading4Kids means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. From the internationally bestselling creator of Claude comes a hero like no other: Mr Penguin. Indiana Jones meets Hercule Poirot in this series from Alex T. Smith, ideal for 7+ readers of Dave Pigeon. The illustrations were once again AMAZING. I love his art so much and I keep being stunned at how detailed it can go. The cogs and the machinery for instance, holy wow. It is just amazing and I so would love a print of it. So, I thought this was both good-natured fun and a quality reading experience, and I was delighted to have this new step up from "Claude".Smart" might seem to be an odd word to use to describe a funsy chapter book, but that's one of the distinguishing aspects of this book. The vocabulary isn't unfairly demanding, but Smith sometimes uses words that offer just enough challenge to engage an older reader and to broaden the reading experience. ("The sun was just peeking up above the roofs of the skyscrapers and sparkling off their windows. It made the entire town look like it was covered in sequins.") Sentences are complex, and there's enough subtle irony and deadpan humor mixed in to make the text a bit more sophisticated than seems usual to me. Dashing detective Mr. Penguin and his Adventuring gang are in for a wild ride when they board a luxury cruise ship. From Alex T. Smith’s delightfully illustrated, mystery-detective series.