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Na een bezoekje aan de dierentuin krijgt het gezin Stewart, bestaande uit moeder, vader, de 9-jarige Imogen en de 6-jarige Arthur bezoek van wel een heel bijzondere gast: Einstein de pinguïn. Het is het begin van een wel heel bijzonder avontuur waarin Imogen en Arthur als ware detectives op zoek gaan naar Einsteins vriend Isaac. The winners of The Farshore Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards 2023, highlighting the work schools are doing to encourage a love of reading, have... Although Einstein cannot speak, they communicate through a series of grunts and gestures, and discover that he is on a rescue mission. Can they help him complete his quest before the mysterious man in a wide-brimmed hat catches up with them? While Imogen enjoys honing her investigative skills, Einstein gives Arthur the confidence to overcome his shyness and make a new friend.
When the Stewart family visit the zoo, they particularly like the penguins. As they are leaving, Mrs Stewart says to one of the penguins that they can come and visit any time. They are very surprised when the penguin turns up on their doorstep shortly afterwards. The children, Imogen and Arthur, love having Einstein to stay and try to find out more about where he has come from and why he is there. Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical Moments
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In an effort to ensure that their children did not get bored, on a bitterly chilly Saturday in December, Mrs Stewart decided to take the family to the zoo. This is where the adventure begins. Young Arthur is desperate to see the penguins and, even though the zoo is about to close for the day, he makes sure that he visits their enclosure. One particular penguin catches his eye, it seems to be copying everything the children do. Arthur and Imogen are sure that they have made a new friend and as they walk away from the enclosure their mum's final words are "You, Mr Penguin, must come and stay with us whenever you like. Penguins are always welcome at our house". Einstein is a wonderful, sweet, heartwarming story with a mystery hovering around the family shaped heart. There isn't really a bad guy, as this isn't that kind of story. Imogen and Arthur provide plenty of adventure and some really clever mystery solving, and for a mute animal Einstein is very good at giving just the right hints at just the right time.
Author Guy Bass introduces SCRAP, about one robot who tried to protect the humans on his planet against an army of robots. Now the humans need his...Perfect for all readers from 7 to 70, Einstein the Penguin introduces an unforgettable new character in a future-classic and fantastically funny debut for all the family to enjoy. My proof copy doesn't feature illustrations, apart from the cover and endpapers, but I hope the finished copy does have some - Einstein has such espression here, I'd love to see what David can do with scenes and the other characters. If it's just this, though, the endpapers will have kids in stitches. Now comes the big question. Why has Einstein come to the Stewarts? Can he stay with them like a pet? Soon, a mystery begins to unravel and Imogen and Arthur discover that Einstein is as smart as his name and has come to them on a mission. From stunning new writing talent Iona Rangeley, and illustrated with wit and brio by the award-winning David Tazzyman, this is a book that will be treasured for years to come.
Although he doesn’t actually look like it in the drawings, I was quite delighted to find out that Einstein was a little penguin. They’re such fun and amazing little animals and I’ve not come across them represented much in children’s fiction (although NZ has an excellent book about them, written by someone who works at the National Aquarium). Einstein is a very resourceful penguin, having managed to escape his home at Sydney Zoo and managed to get himself on a flight to the UK, where he believes Issac is and is busy looking for him in London Zoo when the Stewart family see him. When he comes to visit the children are delighted and want to keep him forever and enjoy taking him on adventures – Arthur sneaks him to school, they take him shopping and although Mr and Mrs Stewart make noises about him not staying forever, they don’t do anything about it. Imogen reads detective novels so when she learns Einstein is searching for his friend, she undertakes an investigative role, determined to find where Issac is so that she can reunite them – even if that means they might have to say goodbye to Einstein.
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The story idea is lovely and the way the family adapt to Einstein is delightful. There are many plot holes (like how does Einstein know where they live and how did he get to their house?) but they do not seem to matter too much. The school scenes and the way a small child behaves are not quite right - something I think children will notice, but the story is quite an easy read and just the right length for Lower Key Stage 2 readers. The blurb says that this is “perfect for all readers from 7 to 70”. I would disagree a bit. For the correct age group ( 7-10 year olds based on the language and the illustrations), this will surely be a nice Christmas book. Some old preteens might enjoy it too. But for grown-up children of my age, there are better kiddie books out there to savour. Let’s leave this one only for actual children. With charming, witty illustrations from David Tazzyman (he of Mr Gum fame), this delightful adventure makes a magnificent modern-day alternative to Paddington, and is perfect for sharing as a family. Imogen, a nine-year-old girl and her younger brother, Arthur, are taken on a last minute trip to London Zoo. There's all the typical events of a family trip - rushing around, lost jumpers, busy transport, everyone wanting to see different animals, ice cream and not being finished when the attraction closes! Through the detailed events, choices of language and character speech, the reader will soon be laughing as the chaotic events unfold.
A bit of madcap and a lot of cuteness (what is it about penguins that makes them so sweet?) makes it a book children will enjoy. The above is why I requested the book from NetGalley. The above is also why I had high expectations from this book. ( Quite unfair to the book, I agree.) And finally, the above is why I felt a little let down when my expectations weren’t met entirely. When the Stewarts spend a sunny, frosty December day at London Zoo, they’re enchanted by one small penguin. At the delight of young Imogen and Arthur, Mrs Stewart insists the penguin “must come and stay with them whenever he likes.” The family's new feathered friend helps Arthur to come out of his shell and makes massive demands on Imogen's amateur sleuthing. But together they must find out why Einstein came to them and they must keep away from the mysterious white-coat man. And Einstein can't stay forever, can he...?Einstein the Penguin is a very well written and exciting text. It is definitely a book that children won't be able to put down and will be fully engaged with. Het verhaal speelt zich af in de maand december, dus de kerstperiode komt er ook in voor. Ideaal boek dus om te lezen in aanloop naar kerst. I couldn’t resist this one because penguins are my favourite animal. Specifically, little penguins, which are native to southern Australia and also New Zealand. However I like all penguins, and find it hard to pass up an opportunity to read a book containing them. An exciting story right up until the end, this is a perfect text for later KS1 and KS2 to use in the classroom, and is a text that all abilities can engage with. There are plenty of writing opportunities for both fiction and non-fiction from this text; recounts, predictions, newspaper reports, retelling from another character's perspective, factual writing. Drama; freeze frames, debates, character speech, expression, retelling. Geography; country location, travel, climate, habitats. My thanks to Harper Collins Children’s Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC of “Einstein the Penguin”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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