"If You Were a Penguin"

By Wendell and Florence Minor
Published in 2009

        This book is a cute book that rhymes and tells you all the cool things that penguins can do. Like they can swim in the water, have funny names, wear tuxedos, eat squids and fish, etc. At the end though it says the best part is that they can do lots of things that we can do too, and it shows two penguins hugging. What I really enjoyed about this book was how it flowed and the rhyme scheme. Also the pictures depicted the type of weather (cold or warm). They also did a great job of illustrating the type of penguins they were talking about. For example some live underground which I did not know, and these penguins are more of a brown color. I have never seen this type before and it made me want to know more.
       Besides giving all these fact about penguins I think the reader can get a lot more out of this book. For their response i would have each student take a page of the book and try to find out what type of penguin they are describing. For some of them there is definitely more then one type. I want them to focus on one type and come to class the next day with some fun facts, or a picture of this type of penguin. Also have them make a journal entry of all the things they think penguins do that they do. Then write all the things they wish they could do that penguins do and why.