CLIVE PENGUIN

 Deciding that penguin life isn’t cool, Clive takes steps to change things.

Clive Penguin is suffering an identity crisis. Being a penguin isn’t so hot. Clive’s sick of the “same old snow” and the “same old penguins.” Clive wants out of the frigid environment, longing to be somewhere else or even “someone else.” The fed-up penguin decides to skip town, believing that something wonderful must be right around the corner. Then Clive makes an epic discovery. Readers will giggle that Clive ignores a colossal whale in favor of something orange floating in the sea—a “unique, fashionable, versatile” tea cozy covering a teapot. Clive models the object in various ways, then returns to huddle among the penguins, sporting the cozy as a hat. However, lest readers think Clive has found a happily-ever-after ending, by the book’s conclusion, our hero is “boiling.” This drily witty story will have young readers chuckling, but it’ll make them think, too, for it’s about being unsure of yourself and where you belong and taking steps toward finding your place in the world. Clive’s return to the colony proves that while familiarity can breed discontent, it may also bring warmth and safety. The lively, uncluttered illustrations feature blues, whites, oranges, and yellows.

A warm and—in more ways than one—very cool story about discovering one’s own identity.