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Pinquo
Pinquo is a fairy penguin, who can swim, skip and dive faster than the blink of an eye.
When Pinquo is wounded, the children Kirsty and Tim take him to Dr Piper, and they all look after Pinquo until he is ready to go to sea.
Later the penguin with the droopy walk and kinky flipper comes back into their lives, with his new family.
When disaster strikes Sickle Bay, Pinquo leads a mad stampede of a thousand frenzied penguins, to save the townspeople.
Little Pinquo is a hero.
When Pinquo is wounded, the children Kirsty and Tim take him to Dr Piper, and they all look after Pinquo until he is ready to go to sea.
Later the penguin with the droopy walk and kinky flipper comes back into their lives, with his new family.
When disaster strikes Sickle Bay, Pinquo leads a mad stampede of a thousand frenzied penguins, to save the townspeople.
Little Pinquo is a hero.
78 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 30, 2014
Author: Colin Thiele
Illustrator: Mary Milton
First Published: 1983
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia...
I'll admit it, my daughters are sooks. The teen has been known to cry in a Batman movie, she and her BFF were inconsolable after reading Riordan's The Mark of Athena (much to their teacher's disgust). The 7yo cried during the un-creation of the universe in The 39-Storey Treehouse!
And they were true to form in Pinquo. Cuddling together, sobbing, demanding I keep reading as we reached the end.
Just another chapter.
It can't end like this.
...
I cried, too.
A thoughtful, heart-wrenching ending as the world changes.
"He paused. 'Things change - towns, buildings, people. Especially people.'
She looked at him sceptically. 'You'll never change. Neither will Sickle Bay.'
He shook his head. 'You're wrong. It has changed alreday. It's not the same town that it was.' She knew what he meant.
'Perhaps it's a better place,' she said.
He nodded. 'I think it is. Better than it was before...' He paused, trying to find the right word.
'Before Pinquo,' she said." p.116
An essay combining a love for the environment and Little (fairy) penguins with growing up and changing.
*sigh*
Things you might want to know:
- Sickle Bay doesn't exist. Based in a fictional town of SA, you may be tempted to find Pinquo's monument. It doesn't exist. But Thiele makes you believe it just might.
- There's a lot of penguin information blended neatly into the story. This book could be used as a teaching tool for writers on how to incorporate facts into a children's book without being heavy-handed or patronising. All the 7yo's questions were answered; she finished knowing more. A book that entertains and teaches.
- It has a sad ending. While the book starts slow, plodding, it ends with a need for just one more chapter as the excitement builds to finish gently but profoundly.
I loved it. I didn't know what was coming, but we both found ourselves engrossed. And the teen who was not listening in the corner with her computer open was weeping along with the 7yo. She found it just as startling, and just as compelling.
A book with a good, contemporary Australian flavour without overwhelming and a story that will stay with you.
http://eudundaheritage.com/images/ct_...
Colin Thiele statue in Eudunda
Age:
Read aloud: 7+
Read yourself: 9+
References:
Colin Thiele: http://eudunda.com/colinthiele/
(ISBN 9781741102383)
-CR-
Illustrator: Mary Milton
First Published: 1983
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia...
I'll admit it, my daughters are sooks. The teen has been known to cry in a Batman movie, she and her BFF were inconsolable after reading Riordan's The Mark of Athena (much to their teacher's disgust). The 7yo cried during the un-creation of the universe in The 39-Storey Treehouse!
And they were true to form in Pinquo. Cuddling together, sobbing, demanding I keep reading as we reached the end.
Just another chapter.
It can't end like this.
...
I cried, too.
A thoughtful, heart-wrenching ending as the world changes.
"He paused. 'Things change - towns, buildings, people. Especially people.'
She looked at him sceptically. 'You'll never change. Neither will Sickle Bay.'
He shook his head. 'You're wrong. It has changed alreday. It's not the same town that it was.' She knew what he meant.
'Perhaps it's a better place,' she said.
He nodded. 'I think it is. Better than it was before...' He paused, trying to find the right word.
'Before Pinquo,' she said." p.116
An essay combining a love for the environment and Little (fairy) penguins with growing up and changing.
*sigh*
Things you might want to know:
- Sickle Bay doesn't exist. Based in a fictional town of SA, you may be tempted to find Pinquo's monument. It doesn't exist. But Thiele makes you believe it just might.
- There's a lot of penguin information blended neatly into the story. This book could be used as a teaching tool for writers on how to incorporate facts into a children's book without being heavy-handed or patronising. All the 7yo's questions were answered; she finished knowing more. A book that entertains and teaches.
- It has a sad ending. While the book starts slow, plodding, it ends with a need for just one more chapter as the excitement builds to finish gently but profoundly.
I loved it. I didn't know what was coming, but we both found ourselves engrossed. And the teen who was not listening in the corner with her computer open was weeping along with the 7yo. She found it just as startling, and just as compelling.
A book with a good, contemporary Australian flavour without overwhelming and a story that will stay with you.
http://eudundaheritage.com/images/ct_...
Colin Thiele statue in Eudunda
Age:
Read aloud: 7+
Read yourself: 9+
References:
Colin Thiele: http://eudunda.com/colinthiele/
(ISBN 9781741102383)
-CR-
October 23, 2016
Cried my eyes out. Excellent book to read to children. Sure, you’ll probably have them wailing by the end, but it makes them think about life. And guaranteed it is a story which will stay with them forever. A story of kindness.
June 7, 2025
A delightful children's book. Pinquo the injured and deformed brave little penguin saves the small South Australian town from a tidal wave caused by an earthquake, gets married, has chicks, but unfortunately succumbs to a tanker oil spill disaster. A wonderful little 120 page tale that touches on family and friendship and compassion and environmental issues. From the author who wrote Storm Boy, both a very successful children's book and Australian movie.
December 24, 2013
In a tiny village on the Australian coast, two children find a Fairy penguin whose flipper has been injured. They take it to Dr Piper, a scientist who lives in the village, and together they help get the little penguin they dub Pinquo back to health. The story then follows Pinquo through several years as Dr Piper and the kids anxiously observe him come back, raise chicks, and poke his curious little beak into their lives. One day after a big earthquake hits, Pinquo is acting very strangely. He seems to be bossing the other penguins around and leading them away from the water. He squawks at Dr Piper and the children as well, causing them to remember an Aboriginal fable about penguins who warned a town of an impending tidal wave. Thanks to Pinquo's warning, Dr Piper and the others are able to warn the town and get to high ground before the massive tidal wave hits. They wait and watch the penguins to know when it is safe to go back down. An oil tanker is caught unawares in the tidal wave, and soon the town is rushing to save the penguins who saved their lives.
This is a perfect short little animal story for kids who are animal lovers, especially penguin lovers. The tale itself is fairly predictable and just relates the bare basics, but really most animal fans just want to hear about the cute little animal's antics. This copy has been hiding on the shelves between some larger tomes. I'm going to have to dig it out and give it some advertisement, because I'm sure several students would love the story...well, except .
Notes on content: The strongest language included is "Good Lord." No sexual content. No violence. Some animals and humans are harmed in the oil rig's sinking.
This is a perfect short little animal story for kids who are animal lovers, especially penguin lovers. The tale itself is fairly predictable and just relates the bare basics, but really most animal fans just want to hear about the cute little animal's antics. This copy has been hiding on the shelves between some larger tomes. I'm going to have to dig it out and give it some advertisement, because I'm sure several students would love the story...well, except .
Notes on content: The strongest language included is "Good Lord." No sexual content. No violence. Some animals and humans are harmed in the oil rig's sinking.
July 9, 2016
Christine read this to our family on our Chiang Mai road trip. As we neared the end, I almost had to stop the car just to cry.
On Australia's southern coast, a young girl and her brother rescue an injured fairy penguin. Little did they know that years later, it would rescue them and their whole town.
An endearing account.
On Australia's southern coast, a young girl and her brother rescue an injured fairy penguin. Little did they know that years later, it would rescue them and their whole town.
An endearing account.
August 31, 2016
Written for kids but a nice short read
May 24, 2019
Absolutely stellar.
Gripping short and sweet
Gripping short and sweet
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews