Review Detail

Little Penguin has a major dilemma. After a night of feasting on chili, the Little Penguin gets the hiccups. The story starts with the penguin (he's never given a name), telling the reader that someone named Franklin informed him that we (the reader) would stop by.

What worked for me: The interactive nature of the story calls for the reader to help scare the hiccups out of the little penguin, after many failed attempts. The illustrations are incredibly beautiful. The painting quality gives the penguin a depth that graphics can't. In the double spreadsheets, which capture larger landscapes, there are hidden details that keep revealing themselves, like the shadow of fish and even sharks under the water and the shading of the icebergs. The colors are dark, blue, and moody, but still manage to retain a cheerfulness when it comes to the penguin's expressions.

However, the little penguin doesn't learn his lesson. Which leaves him to repeat his cycle of hiccups all over again.

Final thoughts: Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups is an entertaining picture book that engages the reader, and makes them part of the story.