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Blown Away: A Brave Penguin's Kite Journey Picture Book for Kids
Come on an unexpected journey with a fearless blue penguin in Rob Biddulph's debut picture book, Blown Away . In this brilliantly captivating and gloriously illustrated story, a brave young penguin takes a kite flight to a tropical paradise. But in the end, he realizes that home is where his igloo is.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
July 29, 2014
Look here! A wonderful debut,
With kites and flights and Penguin Blue
Delivered with a sing-song rhyme,
That makes this great for story time.
Moral: It’s not how far you stray,
Nor perils met along the way.
No jungle heat, nor bright sea foam
Will match the comforts of your home.
For when you’ve whooshed and Blown Away
Then made it home, (with stowaway..?)
That feeling is so very nice,
To have your feet on solid ice.
Intrepid adventurers, beautiful pages,
Appealing right across the ages;
A penguin wasn’t built for flying
But, gosh, this book was built for buying.
With kites and flights and Penguin Blue
Delivered with a sing-song rhyme,
That makes this great for story time.
Moral: It’s not how far you stray,
Nor perils met along the way.
No jungle heat, nor bright sea foam
Will match the comforts of your home.
For when you’ve whooshed and Blown Away
Then made it home, (with stowaway..?)
That feeling is so very nice,
To have your feet on solid ice.
Intrepid adventurers, beautiful pages,
Appealing right across the ages;
A penguin wasn’t built for flying
But, gosh, this book was built for buying.
January 4, 2021
Cute and simple -- so simple that I forgot it almost immediately, even though I enjoyed it. It would have been better had the animals had more personality.
April 17, 2020
Listened to the audiobook via BookBeat UK!
This short children's book is about a penguin who is the proud owner of a new kite, however, the weight of the kite is too strong and the penguin ends up flying away to distant lands along with the arctic animals he calls friends and their quest to get home. Cute listen!
This short children's book is about a penguin who is the proud owner of a new kite, however, the weight of the kite is too strong and the penguin ends up flying away to distant lands along with the arctic animals he calls friends and their quest to get home. Cute listen!
August 21, 2025
This would work well for a storytime -- the kids could count the clouds from 1 to 9, help blow the boat, etc.
December 6, 2015
Penguin Blue has a brand new kite but when he flies it, it lifts him right off the ice and up into the air. Two other penguins try to help and get swept along too. Wilbur the harp seal tries to catch them and joins the group flying along. Blue calls out for help from a polar bear and then Clive is riding along too, his boat and all. They are finally dropped on a lush warm jungle isle where they all agree it is way too hot. Blue has a great solution though, it will just take Clive’s boat, leaves and vines and one good gust of wind that is provided by the elephants on the island. Soon the group are back in their icy home, but there is one stowaway from the island who now needs to figure out how to get back to the warmth of the jungle.
This romp of a picture book is filled with a positive feel throughout. Each new challenge is playfully presented and merrily dealt with through clever solutions. The text rhymes and creates a jaunty cheer that makes this book great fun to share aloud. The rhyming story is written very strongly with a great story arc that solidly supports the humor. This is a book that is immensely satisfying to read.
The design of the book is stellar with playful word design and placement that enhances the strong illustrations. The book is beautifully illustrated with images filled with strong graphic elements, deep colors and also small playful touches. Children will enjoy lingering over the illustrations and spotting the penguins waiting for the bus on an ice floe and the bear losing his map immediately. The combination of strong vivid illustrations and small details make for a book that has its own unique vibe.
A great read-aloud for any penguin story time, this picture book will be enjoyed by preschoolers looking for a complete and playful story. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
This romp of a picture book is filled with a positive feel throughout. Each new challenge is playfully presented and merrily dealt with through clever solutions. The text rhymes and creates a jaunty cheer that makes this book great fun to share aloud. The rhyming story is written very strongly with a great story arc that solidly supports the humor. This is a book that is immensely satisfying to read.
The design of the book is stellar with playful word design and placement that enhances the strong illustrations. The book is beautifully illustrated with images filled with strong graphic elements, deep colors and also small playful touches. Children will enjoy lingering over the illustrations and spotting the penguins waiting for the bus on an ice floe and the bear losing his map immediately. The combination of strong vivid illustrations and small details make for a book that has its own unique vibe.
A great read-aloud for any penguin story time, this picture book will be enjoyed by preschoolers looking for a complete and playful story. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
April 7, 2015
Adorable tale, full of memorable characters.
I love that reviewers are so upset about a polar bear being present at the antarctic, when there's a penguin with a lava lamp near his bed who regularly receives shipments of kites in the mail.
That's like complaining about it not being realistic that you can only wear two rings in World of Warcraft, when you're talking about rings that can be worn by a tiny goblin or massive man cow, in a game where seeing a bunch of undead flying by on birds or motorcycles is no big deal. C'mon, you've already suspended your disbelief that far.
Back on the topic of the book, hopefully we can get a sequel with the awesome jungle crew.
I love that reviewers are so upset about a polar bear being present at the antarctic, when there's a penguin with a lava lamp near his bed who regularly receives shipments of kites in the mail.
That's like complaining about it not being realistic that you can only wear two rings in World of Warcraft, when you're talking about rings that can be worn by a tiny goblin or massive man cow, in a game where seeing a bunch of undead flying by on birds or motorcycles is no big deal. C'mon, you've already suspended your disbelief that far.
Back on the topic of the book, hopefully we can get a sequel with the awesome jungle crew.
March 20, 2015
This is ridiculous... why are penguins and polar bears TOGETHER flying over a sign that says "Now leaving Antarctica"?!?! This book has crazy awesome potential, but maybe if the penguin had flown to the North Pole to pick up the polar bear, I could have loved it.
This is the second time this month that this simple misinformation has ruined an adorable picture book for me. =(
This is the second time this month that this simple misinformation has ruined an adorable picture book for me. =(
February 20, 2018
Penguin's kite is on the loose! His friends try to help but they all get blown away to the jungle. They need a plan to return home to the cold. It is a story in rhyme which makes the story a quick read. There are also great moments to break and count together as a group.
2018 storytime theme: arctic animals
Reviewed from a library copy.
2018 storytime theme: arctic animals
Reviewed from a library copy.
November 15, 2018
This book is about a little penguin who goes on an adventure where he flies through lots of different climates and weather conditions before he realises that home is where the igloo is.
This book could be used with a KS1 class as it has many cross curricular links.
Firstly,this book could be used for an art lesson as each child could make their own shaker. These shakers could then be used in a music lesson where the children make music to fit the sort for example the sound of the rain the penguin hears.
In a science lesson you could think about which type of material is best to wear in each weather condition and do an experiment to test which is best.
For a topic lesson you could be sorting clothes into which is best to wear in the summer and which is best in the winter.
For a literacy lesson you could go on a forest walk and write down all about the sounds you hear and the weather you see.
This book could be used with a KS1 class as it has many cross curricular links.
Firstly,this book could be used for an art lesson as each child could make their own shaker. These shakers could then be used in a music lesson where the children make music to fit the sort for example the sound of the rain the penguin hears.
In a science lesson you could think about which type of material is best to wear in each weather condition and do an experiment to test which is best.
For a topic lesson you could be sorting clothes into which is best to wear in the summer and which is best in the winter.
For a literacy lesson you could go on a forest walk and write down all about the sounds you hear and the weather you see.
February 14, 2018
penguins and polar bear are blown away to the jungle. They like it but it's too hot. They make a boat and sail away with the help of an elephant. They do have a stow away.
March 11, 2019
Blown away is a good book to introduce children to different environments and climates.
August 20, 2021
great storytime book to tie into a penguine or bird theme, rhyming, cute illustrations that you can bring up follow up questions, pictures that will keep them engaged, counting 1-9– cute!!
September 26, 2019
The illustrations in this book are really sweet and I like the story. However, I couldn't help but think it was just a modern version of my old favourite 'One to Ten and down again', by David Lloyd.
February 14, 2015
Art is cute, rhymes work well. Star taken off for having a polar bear appear near the Antarctic. Even if the author knows polar bears live only in the Arctic (which many librarian/teachers/homeschool parents apparently don't, judging by their web pages with "Artic Animal" crafts),
and the polar bear is just "visiting" in the area, it's confusing.
P.S. The "everybody gets stuck on the kite line" was done better in Someone Bigger. The rhymes are just as good and the art work is much suitable for group readings. If you're a librarian/teacher looking for a kite/wind book, I'd highly recommend it.
and the polar bear is just "visiting" in the area, it's confusing.
P.S. The "everybody gets stuck on the kite line" was done better in Someone Bigger. The rhymes are just as good and the art work is much suitable for group readings. If you're a librarian/teacher looking for a kite/wind book, I'd highly recommend it.
September 7, 2015
Synopsis- Penguin Blue has got a new kite, and he’s excited to try it out. There’s just one problem – the wind is too strong! Not only does Blue get blown away, but also his well-meaning friends! What can a penguin do?
What I Thought- This was a cute picture book. I really like how there is an unrealistic touch to it, that can be humorously explained. The illustrations are really well-done, and add a lot of humor to the story. They are simple, but have just the right amount of detail in them. The story is told in a nice, playful rhyme. I think that this would make a great bedtime book, as well as a great sunny day book, rainy day book, and after-after-school-snack book, to name a few! I highly recommend this book!
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
What I Thought- This was a cute picture book. I really like how there is an unrealistic touch to it, that can be humorously explained. The illustrations are really well-done, and add a lot of humor to the story. They are simple, but have just the right amount of detail in them. The story is told in a nice, playful rhyme. I think that this would make a great bedtime book, as well as a great sunny day book, rainy day book, and after-after-school-snack book, to name a few! I highly recommend this book!
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
May 1, 2015
A huge hit at PreK story time.
June 15, 2015
Beautifully illustrated.
April 11, 2024
The story was promising, but rapidly became a non-coherent mess.
- Penguins live in the Southern hemisphere, while polar bears live in the Arctic, in the Northern atmosphere. For a writer who praises himself to draw mainly penguins, that could have been fixed.
- I hate the final part of the book. A monkey from the jungle island decides to go on a journey with Penguin and his friends, in secret, and then is left to go back home flying with a kite in the middle of the night. Like what is even this story? The monkey will most likely never find his home again and crash in the ocean, and no one is helping him and caring about him! He is left alone to figure it out!
Read and reviewed 2018-10-26
- Penguins live in the Southern hemisphere, while polar bears live in the Arctic, in the Northern atmosphere. For a writer who praises himself to draw mainly penguins, that could have been fixed.
- I hate the final part of the book. A monkey from the jungle island decides to go on a journey with Penguin and his friends, in secret, and then is left to go back home flying with a kite in the middle of the night. Like what is even this story? The monkey will most likely never find his home again and crash in the ocean, and no one is helping him and caring about him! He is left alone to figure it out!
Read and reviewed 2018-10-26
January 5, 2025
When Penguin Blue receives a kite in the mail in his far north home, he takes the kite out and begins to fly it when WHOOOSH, the kite lifts him up into the sky flying south and he is not grounded ~~~ even with 2 penguin friends, a seal and a polar bear tugging at the kite string ~~~ until they land in a jungle-like setting. In order to get back to their comfortably cold north, Penguin Blue devises a plan for blowing them home.
Much artistic interplay is happening in this debut picturebook: choice of cold colors delivers the arctic setting (until the jungle sets warm yellows and greens); directionality of flight carry the reader across the landscape; and a quick counting lesson with characters far right, a Virginia Wolf-ish silhouette.
Much artistic interplay is happening in this debut picturebook: choice of cold colors delivers the arctic setting (until the jungle sets warm yellows and greens); directionality of flight carry the reader across the landscape; and a quick counting lesson with characters far right, a Virginia Wolf-ish silhouette.
January 17, 2025
“Blown away” written and illustrated by Rob Biddulph is a cute adventure story about a penguin who tries to fly a kite but it unexpectedly blows away… taking him and his friends along with it! The animals overcome problems together and enjoy the flight! They end up in a jungle that they like but it’s too hot so they decide to make their way back home. Beautiful illustrations, rhyme, some counting and geography links make this picture book a great story time read, especially in the cold winter season. Great for year R and year 1.
November 12, 2019
Absolutely loved this story of a little penguin who finds out he isn't built for flying! I think children would love this humorous book and I can spot many cross curricular links with the story, including science where the children could look at different habitats, climates and how animals are adapted to them. Similarly, children could use this book in art/DT to recreate the kite for example or in literacy when looking at rhyme schemes in KS1.
April 13, 2018
I am a sucker for rhyming books, so this is going to be read from beginning to end.
The pictures accompany the story represent the situation that characters find themselves in. It is humorous, cute and playful but in a way that is enjoyable for the adult reading the story and for the child/ children listening. A great story, that encourages more to explore more of the Rob Biddulph collection.
The pictures accompany the story represent the situation that characters find themselves in. It is humorous, cute and playful but in a way that is enjoyable for the adult reading the story and for the child/ children listening. A great story, that encourages more to explore more of the Rob Biddulph collection.
September 15, 2020
A penguin hanging on to a kite gets blown away, and some other penguins and a polar bear try to hang on and stop him. They get blown into a jungle which they decide that they are not suited for, and rig a canopy so that they can make their way home. I loved the illustrations and rhyming text in this one!
April 12, 2024
Leste enda mer på min date med @deichmanbjorvika i dag, jeg fant nemlig flere bøker av @rbiddulph. Disse to var søte og på rim, litt fantastiske, og det har vi bruk for. Begge bøkene er litt kjedehistorier som kan lett bygges ut av elever både med muntlighet, tekst og tegning! Favoritten er den eldste av dem.
March 18, 2025
On a windy day penguin decides to fly a kite. To his surprise the wind is so strong that he begins to leave the ground. His penguin friend try to help. Up, Up and away they go. Other animals join in grabbing onto penguin. Then they land on a tropical island and they make more friends, but will they find a way to get home?
March 31, 2025
A silly story about a penguin who tries to fly a kite and it goes very wrong, making the penguin and everyone who tries to help fly away. It’s told in rhyme, which makes the story flow nicely. It’s cute that they land in the jungle and a monkey hitches a ride back with them. I could see older toddlers and preschoolers really enjoying this story.
January 7, 2019
A very cute book, written in rhyme, that shows the adventure penguin has when he is taken away on a kite. The animals work together to help penguin and get back home. The pictures are small so it would make a better one-on-one story.
August 1, 2019
This is a good book for an older group of kids. It's a little long and the narrative is a bit sophisticated for younger ones, but there are lots of opportunities for dialogic reading and a bit of a twist at the end!
January 17, 2020
I really like the style of this book and will need to find more from Rob Biddulph! This story was so humourous and I can't wait to share this with my future class as children would love it. The illustrations are lovely and the text is poetic which is really nice to share with the younger years.
February 17, 2021
*Writing on behalf of my 4 year old*
I will give this book 4.5 stars. I started with the Dinosaur Juniors book and because I liked all 3 of those books by Rob, I read this one as well.
It enjoyed this book a lot. I liked the cheeky monkey a lot, and laughed when I saw him hopping to the boat.
I will give this book 4.5 stars. I started with the Dinosaur Juniors book and because I liked all 3 of those books by Rob, I read this one as well.
It enjoyed this book a lot. I liked the cheeky monkey a lot, and laughed when I saw him hopping to the boat.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews