Editorial Review

A double-page spread of fast facts kicks off this account of emperor penguins’ famous 100-mile walk to their antarctic breeding grounds. The narrative text is easy to read, feeling like a story rather than standard nonfiction. Four chapters zero in on the adult penguins’ march inland to mate and lay eggs; the transfer of the egg to the father’s brood pouch, where it will hatch; the parents’ tag-team jaunts to the ocean to feed; and the growing chicks’ eventual foray into the icy waters. Plentiful photos of fuzzy chicks and regal adults add to the book’s appeal, but the text doesn’t sugarcoat the dangers these birds face, such as the threats of starvation and predation. An incredible journey in the Stories from the Wild Animal Kingdom series.