Penguin Chick (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science)
Grade 1-3-This title focuses on one emperor penguin family's  survival. The parents' care of their young is central, shown by  deft yet perfunctory watercolors depicting a harsh, challenging  habitat. The danger of the baby's starvation is emphasized; one  adult must keep it protected from the elements and the other  must fish for food and return in time to feed it before it dies.  Trading places, the caregivers share these duties until the  chick is old enough for both adult birds to hunt for food  together. A summary of a penguin's life up to the laying of an  egg is followed by a section that describes the egg laying and  nesting patterns of kings, Ad lies, rockhoppers, jackasses, and  little blues. Brenda Guiberson's The Emperor Lays an Egg (Holt,  2001) and Martin Jenkins's The Emperor's Egg (Candlewick, 1999)  will have wider appeal because of their sparkling language and  vibrant art. This book's value rests on its accessibility to  beginning readers.Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries,  Aptos, CACopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.