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A Busy Book
Busy Penguins
The beloved Busy Animals board book series has an irresistible new look!
These busy penguins are dashing, splashing, jumping, bumping, and going about their busy penguin lives. Young children will love to imitate the many actions the penguins are doing, while the vivid, full-color photographs will keep them engaged time after time. Join in the fun!
These busy penguins are dashing, splashing, jumping, bumping, and going about their busy penguin lives. Young children will love to imitate the many actions the penguins are doing, while the vivid, full-color photographs will keep them engaged time after time. Join in the fun!
20 pages, Board Book
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 18, 2019
I could have gladly gone my whole life without seeing a picture of a penguin's puffy butthole with a stream of liquid poo shooting out of it. Thanks to this book, I do not have that privilege.
The majority of this book is fine--pictures of penguins with cute rhyming captions. But that one page was just... really a deal breaker.
I read this book January 15, 2019. I'm not adding read dates because I don't really want to be reminded of it later this year. Coincidentally, my library just discarded the very same copy I read a few months ago (because it's a bit worn out and probably hasn't been circulating) and I saw it sitting on the cart today.
The majority of this book is fine--pictures of penguins with cute rhyming captions. But that one page was just... really a deal breaker.
I read this book January 15, 2019. I'm not adding read dates because I don't really want to be reminded of it later this year. Coincidentally, my library just discarded the very same copy I read a few months ago (because it's a bit worn out and probably hasn't been circulating) and I saw it sitting on the cart today.
June 18, 2019
I mean, I can't unsee the picture of the penguin pooping, so there's that.
November 9, 2017
This is a fun little board book on penguins we checked out from the library. I doubt we would add this to our permanent collection, though. The text is playful and the pictures are fun. There is a picture of a penguin pooping which my toddlers think is hilarious (not sure that I share their unadulterated glee). Overall, a fun one for the 2-3 year old crowd, as long as you don't mind the crude realities of mother nature and childrens book editors.
March 25, 2018
Boring, boring penguins. What are they snoozing?
I actually own the "Busy Kitties" book in the same series. I don't really understand the fascination that the author seems to have with scatological functions. In this one, there's a penguin pooping. In the other one, there's a kitty "puddling," or peeing on the floor.
Both books start out with, "Busy, busy X. What are they doing?" From then on, it's all photographs which is really nice in a board book. It's pretty solidly a middle-of-the-road book. Every two-page spread of the book has a photograph on each side, with the text "Penguins" plus some kind of verb, so like, "Penguins meeting/Penguins greeting," "Penguins bumping/Penguin jumping." (That was a good 10% of the textual content of this book just now.) When the authors succeed at rhyming it's nice, but they don't always make it. "Sliding" and "diving" don't rhyme. "Feeding" and "cleaning" definitely don't rhyme.
I guess it's cute for people who like penguins. My kid likes the kitty book, but he was a big fan of kitties to begin with. I think you kind of have to be that going into this. Obviously the syntax is very simple. Every page has exactly two words on it. It's extremely repetitive as the first word of that is either "penguin" or "penguins." There's no real information about penguins. There's nothing in here about what they eat, how they raise their young, or the fact that they can't fly or anything like that. Although it's nonfiction, it's not a very interesting book.
Message: Penguins do lots of things.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
I actually own the "Busy Kitties" book in the same series. I don't really understand the fascination that the author seems to have with scatological functions. In this one, there's a penguin pooping. In the other one, there's a kitty "puddling," or peeing on the floor.
Both books start out with, "Busy, busy X. What are they doing?" From then on, it's all photographs which is really nice in a board book. It's pretty solidly a middle-of-the-road book. Every two-page spread of the book has a photograph on each side, with the text "Penguins" plus some kind of verb, so like, "Penguins meeting/Penguins greeting," "Penguins bumping/Penguin jumping." (That was a good 10% of the textual content of this book just now.) When the authors succeed at rhyming it's nice, but they don't always make it. "Sliding" and "diving" don't rhyme. "Feeding" and "cleaning" definitely don't rhyme.
I guess it's cute for people who like penguins. My kid likes the kitty book, but he was a big fan of kitties to begin with. I think you kind of have to be that going into this. Obviously the syntax is very simple. Every page has exactly two words on it. It's extremely repetitive as the first word of that is either "penguin" or "penguins." There's no real information about penguins. There's nothing in here about what they eat, how they raise their young, or the fact that they can't fly or anything like that. Although it's nonfiction, it's not a very interesting book.
Message: Penguins do lots of things.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
June 11, 2018
Me: I liked this book because penguins.
Ozman: THAT GUY POOPIN!
Yes fam, there is a photo of a real penguin shitting in this book. He gave it 5 stars. I give it 4.
Ozman: THAT GUY POOPIN!
Yes fam, there is a photo of a real penguin shitting in this book. He gave it 5 stars. I give it 4.
July 19, 2022
This was a favorite, especially the page that shows a penguin pooping.
I liked this book because of its focus on one type of animal.
I liked this book because of its focus on one type of animal.
Read
May 7, 2023the penguin shitting has scarred me for life -_-
July 19, 2025
Penguins are busy...from bumping to sleeping!
Great photographs, rich language, and easy to add movement for little ones.
Great photographs, rich language, and easy to add movement for little ones.
September 1, 2015
Originally published on my blog,
Nine Pages
.
I was fairly unimpressed by this board book. It consists of photographs of penguins in their natural habitat, and two word sentences describing their actions, including a very memorable picture of a penguin pooping, which I don’t think I really needed rattling around in my mind. I think there are a fair few parents who will feel the same way. It’s possible that this primer might appeal to penguin-lovers, but I sort of feel that that may be its only market. There are other books by the same author for other animals, but I’ve not read them yet nor do I know if they suffer from the similarly memorable photographs.
I was fairly unimpressed by this board book. It consists of photographs of penguins in their natural habitat, and two word sentences describing their actions, including a very memorable picture of a penguin pooping, which I don’t think I really needed rattling around in my mind. I think there are a fair few parents who will feel the same way. It’s possible that this primer might appeal to penguin-lovers, but I sort of feel that that may be its only market. There are other books by the same author for other animals, but I’ve not read them yet nor do I know if they suffer from the similarly memorable photographs.
January 16, 2014
"Busy Busy Penguins-- What are they doing?"
Adorable book that my son has treasured from toddlerhood up to his current age of five. Good for practicing pattern prediction, and a nice short read, with lots of clear photographs, the penguin activities on the facing pages of each double-page spread rhyme along and make it easier for the child to join in.
Warning for squeamish parents, there is one "penguin peeing" (like all birds, penguins eliminate a semi-solid liquid.) Also, some parents may fear that the penguin 'sleeping' is in fact an ex-penguin, but apparently penguins do sometimes sleep lying down.
Adorable book that my son has treasured from toddlerhood up to his current age of five. Good for practicing pattern prediction, and a nice short read, with lots of clear photographs, the penguin activities on the facing pages of each double-page spread rhyme along and make it easier for the child to join in.
Warning for squeamish parents, there is one "penguin peeing" (like all birds, penguins eliminate a semi-solid liquid.) Also, some parents may fear that the penguin 'sleeping' is in fact an ex-penguin, but apparently penguins do sometimes sleep lying down.
March 22, 2012
Busy Penguins was a cute book and only took about a minute to read. Each page depicts an action that penguins do. It teaches children a little bit about what penguins do. I'm not sure if the "penguin pooping" page is appropriate for children to look at though. It's quite disgusting. Make sure you are not eating or drinking anything while reading it.
October 12, 2008
Probably my favorite toddler book. Penguins rock like whoa - but what really makes the book is the penguin pooping picture.
August 25, 2008
Two words: "PENGUINS POOPING". A must read.
Read
October 22, 2010brought chills
January 11, 2011
Board book.
I see a lot of people are excited over the penguin pooping page. I do love potty humor but this was just foul.
I see a lot of people are excited over the penguin pooping page. I do love potty humor but this was just foul.
December 6, 2011
This fits in well with the rest of the series. Great for learning a little about penguins and has wonderful range in verb vocabulary.
August 11, 2012
The penguins pooping is definitely the best part!!
October 23, 2012
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11485007
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11485007
February 15, 2014
A little simpler than Penguins 123. So a possibility for lap times.
August 9, 2015
Loved it until the poop showed up. Was that really necessary?
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews