Pascal the Very Hungry Penguin

PASCAL THE VERY HUNGRY PENGUIN is an overall cute picture book about sharing food and the joy of eating. Nabil is visiting the zoo when a penguin calls out to him about the smell of his lunch. Pascal the penguin is tired of eating fish all the time, and when he tastes Nabil's lunch, he decides to travel home with him. Nabil is nervous about getting caught, but when he can't hide Pascal anymore, his parents embrace their new guest with lots of delicious food. Pascal is soon a part of the family and learning to cook himself.

What I loved: The story celebrates food (and particularly spicy food) in a really fun way with a message about embracing foods that may be different than what you are used to and the joy of sharing a meal with someone new. There are plenty of silly moments, especially when Nabil is trying to hide Pascal that little ones will enjoy. The illustrations are fantastic with plenty of color and detail as well as expressive and adorable characters. The font is clear and easy to read throughout, which is great for reading aloud.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the story hinges on smuggling an animal secretly home without consequences or a discussion, and this can be a tough thing for little ones to understand (about why it is not good to bring a strange animal home - particularly one that belongs to the zoo- as well as lying/hiding from parents). For that reason, I would recommend more to older picture book readers who can understand why this would not be a good choice but also giggle at the silliness of the events.

Final verdict: Overall, PASCAL THE VERY HUNGRY PENGUIN is a cute picture book that celebrates food and particularly new-to-you foods.

Nabil shares his lunch with the penguin Pascal at the zoo - and the cheeky, hungry penguin follows him home! Cheery rhymes tell all about Pascal's rambunctious exploration and Nabil's worry that his parents won't be too happy about the new, surprise friend...

Happily for Nabil, his mother is delighted to meet Pascal, and she makes sure to show him the greatest hospitality, treating Pascal to family dinner with tasty curries and other dishes. Food is present throughout the story, and I love how it's shown bringing people (and penguins) together. There's something special about sharing food and eating together.

Now, I certainly didn't want Nabil to get in trouble, but I was a little taken aback at just how easygoing his parents were about the whole Pascal situation. Probably shouldn't be encouraging smuggling small critters home and not telling anyone about it...but the story's all in good fun, and I'm sure concerned parents can improvise their own lesson to tack on the end if they feel so inclined.

Oh, and the hardcover includes a code for a free audio book!

Overall, a great book for those who love penguins and If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.