Please Play Safe! Penguin's Guide To Playground Safety

by Margery Cuyler

Penguin's rambunctious animal friends can't seem to behave at the playground. They throw sand - and run so fast they knock each other down! By the end of the day, however, the friends have learned what's safe in playground play. "Required reading for parents and children alike." - Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, School, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Margery Cuyler is the author of many books for children, including From Here to There, The Little Dump Truck, and That’s Good! That’s Bad! The idea for That’s Good! That’s Bad! was inspired by a conversation with her son, Thomas, who asked, "Can't bad things change into good things?" Ms. Cuyler grew up in the oldest house in Princeton, NJ, and started writing stories as soon as she learned how to write. She now lives in the same house with her husband, sons and two cats.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/marger...

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I'll come around to this style when the kiddo is older but I'm just not a fan of presenting behaviors that you don't want before saying "no!" as it both gives kiddos more ideas about behaviors you don't want to see and also just feels like a negative read and setting them up. Again, probably very different for the target age range than a two year old but that's my current feeling.

[Takishia Gabriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to read to students on the first day of school. This book gives a good overlook as to what students should and should not do while on the playground.

[Marie Arie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A penguin shows his friends how to play safely and have manners. Great book for ages 4-5 and for the start of the school year.

[Juli19 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book shows pictures on situations that are supposed to be right or wrong when it comes to playground safety. The story starts with a question in the first page, and it prompts children to say if it is right or wrong to do things when they are playing in the playground. When you turn to the next page of the book, it gives you the answer and the author explains to children the things they are supposed to do when they are playing outdoors. Therefore, in open-close questions the animals in the story demonstrate how to play safely and use good manners.
I liked the book. A good way to engage children in the reading and get chances to participate in the story. I strongly recommend the book for preschool and kindergarten children.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very entertaining and educational in demonstrating the proper way to approach and use playground equipment safely. It gave multiple scenarios of what to do and what not to do on the playground - i.e., demonstrated the proper behaviors children should have when playing outside to stay safe. It used age-appropriate language and visuals for the children to easily follow and understand. I would definitely recommend this book because it is an easy read and covers all the important basics of playground safety.

[Crystal Gill-Meighan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice book to teach all around safety on and off the playground. You can also use it also to teach kids how to share and take turns. I have used it for reference with my kids when they are having issues sharing and taking turns with their phone. It's also good for showing kids tol earn from their mistakes. After getting hurt from playing unsafe, they learned the importance of playing safe.

[Sydney Holloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great representation and illustration of what to do and not to do on the playground! the approach is very easy to understand for a younger audience. The usage of onomatopoeia in the book can create a really great environment for the children to interact and remember the rules taught within the book.

[Kailey Gehres · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Fiction

Age group: 4-7 (preschool-1st grade)

Unique features: I really like how colorful and big the key words are. I like how all of the characters are different animals. This is a book that would be read when teaching children how to play safe on the playground!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through a vivid portrayal of negative examples, this book instructs children on playground edicate. The examples seem all too typical, for any young parent.

[Angel Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book to read to young children to help them with using safety skills while enjoying the playground with friends.

[Grace Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to ensure the playground safety with children.

[Alejandra Cisneros]

Such a great book to read for playground safety, children can easily understand and with the great illustration they can easily see how to play safe.

[Kenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun and simple book for 2-4 year old's on playground safety and rules. What they can do and what they should not do.

[A'Nya Delbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a great book to teach kids about outdoor safety.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book !!

[noreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

the repetition in the writing structure makes it fun and accessible for kids to learn about playground rules without feeling like a “rule book.” also the artwork is so cute🥹

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! This book was a very creative way of explain playground safety and right and wrong behavior on the playground.
The lines, bold and curved, of the illustrations convey a simplicity and softness to the reader. The illustrations are basic characters and backgrounds that are great for lower elementary school children who this book would be marketed for that can get lost in too much detail and fancy backgrounds.
I liked how the author capitalized the “action” word or the word describing if the characters were doing something wrong or right. The word was also a different color than the rest of the text allowing it to stand out and be noticed by the reader.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cute book used in the first week or so as rules are being set for the students. This book has a cool theme of asking rhetorical questions through out its pages. It serves as an interactive text where students answer for themselves about what is and is not acceptable on the playground. It's even more fun for them to state when bad behavior is taking place. I would definitely read this aloud to ages four through eight. The word play ad fun illustrations make it all the more appealing to young eyes!

[Latosha Finch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fiction book is about playground safety. The way the book is written, the teacher and students can interact with this book. The teacher can model the concept of prediction. The teacher and student can look at the cover page and predict what the book is about. The cover of the book does not have a playground on it, however, one animal has a jumprope in his mouth, the other is on a skateboard. The first page asks the reader a question and students can respond to the questions. This book also reinforces expectations on the playground and those can be discussed at that time.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute take on discussing safety with one's children. I liked the conversational tone of asking the children what they think the best choice would be and then discussing the best choice. I think sometimes the "That's wrong!" element could be a bit jarring for young ones, but the conversation that stems from this is the whole point.

For: parents/caregivers wanting a book on playground safety/playing well with others

Possible red flags: the illustrations show hitting, knocking others down, and overall rudeness, but it is done to show what NOT to do

[Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the coloring style on these oddly shaped little animals. It's a pretty comprehensive set of playground behaviors to avoid. While marketing advice usually says it's better to say what TO do than what NOT to do, I think for this book the combination is okay. I like the repetition of question and answer (almost call and response!). The colorful, wavy words are cute, too.

[Jennifer Oaks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book made the subject of safety more fun because it involved animals and different scenarios. It also asked the reader if the scenario was safe and then it showed the right way to be safe. The setup of the book is very predictable, which would make it easier for them to follow along.

[Baby Shastra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is a fantastic start to teaching playground manners. Social interaction during toddlers years is so unpredictable and yet its foundation time for social-emotional development. This book has a great way of making playground etiquette relate-able and fun to remember.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gracie and I especially like this one—she enjoys the anticipation of getting to point out the bad behavior.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learn by non-examples of playground behaviors. Read before the first recess in Kindergarten or as a review when needed.

[Cassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could be a great first day/ week reader. For pre k-2nd grade. Talks about the things you should and shouldn't do on the playground.Great opener for making a list of rules for outside...

[Tanika · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about some animal friends that goes to the playground. Sometimes they forgot how to play safe. This will help children learn the safety rules.

[Jodi Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great story about how to play safely on the playground. it has examples of what not to do on the playground and the right thing to do. the illustrations are very simple and clear.

[Emelda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just really don't like these penguin books. Are there any other books on playground safety?

[Elizabeth Kids Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I like it but it's a little weird."- from the mouth of a 3 year old