FRANK'S RED HAT

In this Australian import, a free-thinking penguin struggles to find an appreciative audience for his ideas.

One day, Frank wears a scarlet red hat, an accessory that stands out in his mostly black-and-white habitat. When he finally convinces fellow penguin Neville to try out the hat, Neville’s eaten by a killer whale (an act mostly depicted off the page). Understandably, the other penguins refuse to don chapeaux of their own, no matter how many different designs Frank tries. Just when Frank is about to give up for good, he finds excited recipients among the seals and decides that he won’t “let a few nervous penguins” prevent him from pursuing his passion. Frank and the penguins are darling in their own cartoonish way, with tiny triangle beaks set between their big eyes and eyebrows that extend above their faces. The starkness of the landscape serves as the perfect canvas for the bright pops of color in Frank’s various creations. All little ones should hear—and see—this message of discovering the right audience for one’s work rather than changing one’s output to please others. Frank serves as a bold example.

A worthwhile, heartwarming, and beautifully conveyed lesson to do what makes you happiest.