Penguin in Peril

When the cats spend their last gold coins on a trip to the pictures they emerge with empty pockets and hungry tummies. All they need for a fishy feast of their own is a penguin. Picking one up at the local zoo is no problem - after all these cats are very cunning, but explaining the next part of the plan proves difficult when they realise they don't speak penguin. Penguin has a plan of his own too - an escape plan to get him back to the zoo. Some hide and seek and sneaky secret shortcuts gets Penguin out of his perilous situation, but what will become of those criminal cats?

Helen Hancocks' debut ticks all the boxes for a truly excellent picture book. The artwork is super stylish with a charismatic charm that makes her a talent to watch. The spreads are genuinely funny and the scenery is beautifully crafted. Visual nun-jokes and various 'penguin-a-likes' will tickle adults as much as children, while the simple text and short sentences make this a great read aloud for tiny tots and a fabulous first text for early readers too.