When Grandad Was a Penguin

A hilarious case of mistaken identity leaves a young girl wondering why Grandad is acting so strangely? Something is not quite right - something is rather fishy. During a visit to Grandad's house, it becomes very clear that Grandad is not quite himself. The text balances perfectly with the illustrations: showing the little girl's thoughts and confusion through the words alongside the reality in the illustrations. The illustrations are brimming with humour and show Grandad - who is very clearly a penguin - doing all sorts of things that you would not expect of Grandad. As well as his clothes not fitting anymore and his strange obsession with fishing, he keeps turning up in the most unlikely of places: in the toilet, upside down in the fish tank, and in the refrigerator! Grandad is even shown sliding down the banister on his belly! Could it just be that Grandad's behavior is because he is getting older, or is something more fishy going on? Perplexed and a little concerned, the child eventually gets a call from the zoo, where it appears that there has been a mix-up. The little girl heads to the zoo to sort out the muddle and hopefully swap a penguin for her Granddad. She leaves the penguin safely at the zoo, heading home with Grandad. Or at least that was the plan, but Grandad seems to have other ideas... This book is simple yet filled with possibility. Children could use the format to write their own case of mistaken identity. They could also write from Grandad's point of view or the penguin's, keeping a journal of their time away from home. A newspaper article, reporting this hilarious mix-up, could also been inspired by the main points of the story. This could also open up the way for researching the animals within the story and their natural habitat, moving on to discussions about zoos and the positives and negatives. What would it be like to live like Penguin, in an enclosure? There is so much that could be done with this book so despite its simplicity, it will appeal to all ages and can open the doors to a wealth of writing and discussion opportunities for all abilities. Simple, comical illustrations tell the story beautifully and provide even more points of discussion, as well as a good giggle! Picture book / Ages 4+ / Reviewed by Torie Walton, school librarian.

Suggested Reading Age 3+