Fred balanced the egg on his feet as did each of the fathers left behind on the ice where they remained warm during the long winter darkness by lingering close together to share their body heat, protect their precious eggs and wait for the homecoming of their mates.

  Fred talked to his little Pengey while they waited, he told penguin history tales  and sang songs to him.  Mom penguins began to come back to the colony where they fed their babies.  Fred and Pengey waited and waited, all the other little penguins were growing taller. Pengey received so little food he continued very small.  The other moms did not share food with Pengey, Fred brought only little pieces he could gather.   At last, when nearing starvation himself;  Fred realized he must say goodbye to his little Pengey and with a promise to one day return and find him again, Fred dolefully set out for the sea and food.

  Pengey spent his first day away from Fred with the others of his colony, but during the night a huge storm blew in splitting the floe and Pengey was left all alone.  Fortunately anchovies washed up on his little bit of ice and Pengey ate some.   He pondered his options.   And, he set out on the dangerous undertaking of his life that was going to include meeting a huge albatross, and a leopard seal and some strange beings that Pengey did not recognize.

  Kindness proffered by a human, Wendy, taking a ride as a stowaway on an  airplane, meeting terrific friends; especially a Puffin and a Parrot, and, even the acquisition of human talk all are a component of Pengey’s big escapade. 

The Many Adventures of Pengey Penguin is a superbly engaging fantasy narrative particularly meant to be read by adults to the 4 - 8 set and to be read for joy by the middle grade reader.

Pengey is an always well-mannered, inquisitive, spontaneous little emperor penguin who becomes orphaned before he even feathers out.  Using spirited determination he ascertains that rather than just sit and wait to expire from cold or deprivation he will set out to at least find food enough to keep himself alive.

When very close to death, Pengey staggers up to an uninhabited weather station where his circumstances begin to change; not always for the better, but never again so desperate as when he set out on his journey.

When faced with the most desolate of circumstances Pengey ponders his options, weighing them against his fathers’ tales occupied with penguin traditional knowledge including life survival instruction during their extended wait for Pengey’s Mom to return. 

Pengey struggles with what seems to be just about unconquerable struggles during his first days away from his colony; his attempts are not very successful when he chances to meet Wendy who will play a sizable role in his upcoming life.

When Wendy and he become separated Pengey does not give up, rather, he determines he will find her no matter the impediment, but always after pondering his options, and always being cautious, candid and very mannerly in the face of what might cause another to simply toss in the towel and lament the difficulty.

The heroic tale of Pengey’s journeying to home and safety helps further the life lesson that many steps, small triumphs may not assure immediate victory but can bring the challenging goal into reach.  

Some of Pengey’s adventures are just plain fun, some are a tad hair raising, all are brimming with the grit, personal appeal and resoluteness of the little penguin who is the main character of this one of a kind imaginative offering.

I do not keep all books I receive for review, John Burns’ The Many Adventures of Pengey Penguin is one I will place in my tote bag for use when I begin volunteering or subbing at local schools.  The Many Adventures of Pengey Penguin is a book I would certainly use were I not retired and were still teaching  in the K 1 arena of the public elementary school system. 

Certain to be a favorite with the younger set, and for anyone who enjoys a first-rate read be they young or old.

 ENJOYABLE Read     highly Recommended       

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Reviewed by:MOLLY’S REVIEWS   molly martin    

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 http://www.AuthorsDen.com/mjhollingshead

http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin

 35+ years Public School   classroom teacher

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 AMAZON  BIOGRAPHY

John Burns started writing children's stories when he was a single father raising his two very young daughters in San Francisco. 

The intense desire to create in the written word has resulted in an enormous body of adult fiction and an even larger body of children's work. 

Although there are six Pengey Penguin novels totaling over 1600 pages and 590,000 words in print,  just Volume One and Volume Two are published at this time. They are hard bound in the highest quality Library Binding. They are sold only in the USA  The first novel has been made into an e-book which is available world wide. 

The Many Adventures of Pengey Penguin is 197 pages, 33 Chapters with 21 pen and ink illustrations.  The Further Adventures of Pengey Penguin is 325 pages with six pen and ink illustrations. They are the stories you children will treasure forever.

There are also several Pengey Penguin short stories, Pengey and The Ladybug, Pengey and The Leprechaun, Pengey and The Winter Olympics, Pengey and The Fishing Net and Desolation Cafe' 

John writes everyday. He lives with his wife Carol and splits his time between San Francisco and Palm Springs.

AMAZON PRODUCT DETAILS

Hardcover: 198 pages