Well Done, Mummy Penguin: Chris Haughton

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Coffee house Caffè Nero has announced the 16-strong shortlist for the inaugural Nero Book Awards, recognising the outstanding books of the past 12...

Long established as a master of storytelling for children thanks to his Artemis Fowl series, Eoin Colfer teamed up with brilliant illustrator Chris Judge for this beautiful and meaningful book. If you follow Judge on social media, you’ll be familiar with his Daily Cloud offerings. Based on first-hand experience from the renowned artist’s life, it’s a story about a little girl called Erin who becomes ill, but who finds solace during her lengthy hospital stays in the ‘cloud babies’ she sees in the sky.Beautifully illustrated in cool shades with contrasting orange accents, Haughton's picture book depicts the exhausting triumph of raising a child without coming off as preachy. What's more, the message of the book is truly heartwarming. It's a story of love, dedication, and perseverance, and it's a perfect reminder of just how much parents do for their children. The book shows that even when things get tough, a mother's love can conquer all.

If you grew up in Ireland, you’re probably familiar with many of the fabled myths and legends that comprise our cultural identity. But what about the unsung heroes? Author Ellen Ryan re-imagines some of the female-led tales of goddesses and warriors for a new generation, shining a light on the overlooked figures from Irish legends - from Eithne the supernatural scholar or Fand the shape-shifting eco-warrior. A brilliantly empowering book for all ages. With a nod to the fascinating nature of penguin parenting, Well Done, Mummy Penguin is a brand new stage adaptation of the latest picture book from award-winning writer and illustrator Chris Haughton, and an irresistible ode to family bonds and incredible parents everywhere. Seats in rows H and W are stools, are 36cm (14“) wide and 40cm (152/3“) deep. They are 76cm (30“) from the floor, and have a 25cm (93/4”) gap between seats. The stools also feature a footrest 42cm (161/2”) from the floor.

Customer reviews

Chris Haughton’s distinctive graphic illustrations and bold blue colour palette bring lots of humour and expression to this suspenseful story. Children can follow the story easily even without the text, although the use of text repetition is brilliant as it adds to the anticipation. Seeing Mummy’s adventure from Little Penguin’s point of view also brings us much closer to the action and will likely have little readers cheering on Mummy Penguin too! The winners of the Diverse Book Awards 2023 have been announced, with one winner from each of the four categories announced: Picture book, Children...

Mummy Penguin is going out and leaving Daddy Penguin and Little Penguin, but where is she going, and will she return? In this simple and joyous story, Daddy Penguin takes on the role of looking after Little Penguin while courageous Mummy Penguin hunts for dinner. But her task is not without its dangers, all watched by Little Penguin and Daddy Penguin. This is a simple narrative, reminiscent of classics like Michael Rosen’s We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Martin Waddell’s Owl Babies and the more recent Astro Girl by Ken Wilson-Max. The ending is wonderful, a question which suggests that Mummy Penguin’s work is not yet done. Perhaps one of the most celebrated Irish children’s authors and illustrators out there, Oliver Jeffers hits the mark yet again with his latest book - which stretched his storytelling canvas in a multitude of ways. Beautiful artwork accompanies the Belfast native’s trademark wit and wisdom in this "brief history of the world and a guide to the universe", as a dad takes his two kids on a cosmic adventure to gain perspective on the Earth and its history. Stunning stuff.From a distance, Daddy Penguin and Little Penguin watch Mommy Penguin as she gets dinner. While gliding through the water looking for fish, she waves her wing at Little Penguin. Despite the fish being really fast, Mommy Penguin catches one. Besides being a five-star book full of action, it also teaches little ones not to give up when things get hard. Bright pictures illustrate the story well. Children three to seven-years-old will enjoy this tale, and be surprised about all the things that must be over-come just for one dinner! I sent it to my editor Deirdre. She urged me to drop the big bad wolf idea and work on this instead. So I did. I was very happy about doing this new story, I had done an animation about climate change a few years ago set in Antarctica and I liked the setting and always intended to do more on that. Wow! Chris Haughton's 'Well Done, Mommy Penguin' is an absolute gem of a picture book! From the beautiful illustrations to the heartwarming story, it's a joy to read and a delight for both parents and children.

Richard Seabrooke was brought on board to help produce it. Myself and Richard walked the Poolbeg pier on a freezing, windy day in March 2018. Brought to life by Can’t Sit Still and the creative team behind Oh No, George!, Well Done, Mummy Penguin features daring acrobatics, integrated sign language and heartwarming humour. A perfect wintery treat for everyone aged 3 and up.The endpapers of this book break with Chris Haughton’s normal style – silhouetted figures against an atmospheric landscape, and these invite prediction and discussion between adults and children. Seats in rows K-V and Box 1are 42cm (161/2 “) wide and 45cm (172/3“) deep, 47 cm (181/2“) from the floor, and have 6cm (21/3“) gap between seats. In The Point, seats in rows A-GG are 36cm (14“) wide and 39cm (151/3“) deep. They are 41cm from the floor (16″) wide and 44.5cm (171/2”) deep. The seats are 44cm (171/3”) from the floor, and have a 10cm (4”) gap between seats. But that is only the beginning of the challenges Mommy Penguin must face to get dinner home. From scaling large, slippery ice-covered cliffs, making huge jumps out of the ocean, and being able to quietly get past killer seals, Mommy Penguin has a lot of hurdles to overcome.