Flora and the Penguin

Flora is back! Flora is off on another adventure in friendship, but this time she's headed to colder climes.

Flora's made a new friend and in a graceful dance along the ice learns a few lessons about friendship. 

When she rebuffs a gift and gives her friend the cold shoulder, she must find a way to heal the hurt she has caused. 

Molly Idle has given readers a way to explore the elements of friendship - the courage to reach out and make a new friend, the misunderstandings that can happen, and willingness to make things better - and reassure them that friendships endure.

Both the page turn and the flap lifts move this story along. As with the previous book, the placement and use of flaps is brilliant. Subtle changes or events in the story take on import and make the reader stop, explore, and consider the scene.

This particular page astounds me. I love how the reader can see both their movements although they cannot see each other. 

 

I was an early admirer of Flora and Flamingo and included it on our Mock Caldecott list. Sharing it with my students was a reaffirming experience. I loved watching their expressions as they read each page. You can hear my reaction to Flora and the Flamingo winning a Caldecott honor here: On Sharing #booklove. Two fifth graders made a book trailer that you can see on this post: Award Winning Books: Trailers! 

With all of this #booklove for Flora and the Flamingo, I can say that Flora and the Penguin steps boldly onto the picture book scene. Following along in the footsteps of a sibling book can be pretty daunting, one might say, something like, "where Flora and the Flamingo leaves off," but that wouldn't be fair or honest, because Flora and the Penguin stands firmly on its own two feet (webbed feet and all). What is still the same, and we readers and thankful, is Molly Idle's ability to deftly deliver a beautifully-illustrated adventure for Flora. See for yourself: