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The Second Sky
The first thing Gilbert sees when he hatches from his egg is the sky. It is love at first sight and from that moment on Gilbert longs to fly like other birds.
But Penguins don’t fly, they waddle, and so begins Gilbert's quest to find his place in the world.
Great things happen when you reach for the sky.
But Penguins don’t fly, they waddle, and so begins Gilbert's quest to find his place in the world.
Great things happen when you reach for the sky.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2017
2 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
February 28, 2023
Gilbert the penguin wants to fly.
In the process of trying, he learns the wonders of doing what penguins do best, swimming.
All of us want to live out our dreams. This is a lovely story of learning how to live out our dreams within the limitations we have for ourselves. It's a story with just the right amount of rhyme and a clever vocabulary with kid-friendly illustrations.
In the process of trying, he learns the wonders of doing what penguins do best, swimming.
All of us want to live out our dreams. This is a lovely story of learning how to live out our dreams within the limitations we have for ourselves. It's a story with just the right amount of rhyme and a clever vocabulary with kid-friendly illustrations.
October 11, 2022
I'm reading a new edition published under the title Born to Fly. This is a lovely story, wonderfully illustrated. I love the opening "shot" so much, showing us Gilbert's viewpoint from inside his egg as he hatches. The rest of the illustrations beautifully capture the Antarctic landscape. The story shows us the wonder of finding your own personal strengths.
January 5, 2025
A wonderful book I read at least once a term in my classroom. Has such a beautiful message and I would recommend it in any children’s or classroom library.
March 5, 2019
This is a wonderful book. From start to finish the illustrations are just marvelous. This book is really refreshing. Gilbert, a baby penguin who longs to fly, learns that his ability to swim is just as wonderful.
June 8, 2019
A little penguin wants to learn to fly, but he is more fuzz than feathers and doesn’t have very long wings. So when he tries to flap and fly, he ends up falling onto his bottom. His parents try to explain that he is a penguin and not a goose, but Gilbert won’t give up. He wants to reach the stars and fly above mountains. When Gilbert’s feathers come in, he tries some more to fly, but still can’t leave the ground. Inspired by an albatross flying above him, he heads to a cliff and jumps off. Instead of flying though, he tumbles down the side and into the sea. It is there, in the deep water, the Gilbert realizes that penguins can fly too, just in their own way.
Shortlisted for the 2018 Early Childhood Book of the Year by the Children’s Book Council of Australia, this picture book combines incredible illustrations with a strong story of finding your own way to reach your dreams. Gilbert is a hardy and fearless little fellow, determined to fly. The moment when he is at the top of the cliff is a huge turning point in his story and readers will be holding their breath to see what happens. The result is exceptionally satisfying.
Bentley’s illustrations are lovely. They capture the vistas of the frozen landscape, have the solid black figures of the other penguins. Yet they also soften around Gilbert and his fuzz, showing a rotund little penguin with big dreams. That softness plays nicely against the ice and snow. When Gilbert enters the water and the pages fill with blues and greens, the colors seem even more intense and vivid.
A little penguin with big dreams whose story is worth reading. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Shortlisted for the 2018 Early Childhood Book of the Year by the Children’s Book Council of Australia, this picture book combines incredible illustrations with a strong story of finding your own way to reach your dreams. Gilbert is a hardy and fearless little fellow, determined to fly. The moment when he is at the top of the cliff is a huge turning point in his story and readers will be holding their breath to see what happens. The result is exceptionally satisfying.
Bentley’s illustrations are lovely. They capture the vistas of the frozen landscape, have the solid black figures of the other penguins. Yet they also soften around Gilbert and his fuzz, showing a rotund little penguin with big dreams. That softness plays nicely against the ice and snow. When Gilbert enters the water and the pages fill with blues and greens, the colors seem even more intense and vivid.
A little penguin with big dreams whose story is worth reading. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
March 28, 2019
Such a sweet and beautiful book for your little ones. The book is awash in shades of blue which is so lovely. Just "what" does the color blue do for us?
Blue: It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect.
With that in mind I reread the book about little penguin's desire to fly. He wants to reach the sky. He wants to soar. He wants freedom. So he tries to run, waddle, leap, plunge, reach out. It all fails.
Until.....
He tumbles into the sea. The depths. The glories. The majesty of the sea. He realizes he IS flying. He IS soaring. He has reached a different sky. One he is at home in and for which he is fitted.
And through this all he is awash in the calming, beautiful blues of sky and sea.
A lovely book.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Eerdmans Young Readers (Eerdmans Publishing) to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine, alone, and are freely given.
Blue: It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect.
With that in mind I reread the book about little penguin's desire to fly. He wants to reach the sky. He wants to soar. He wants freedom. So he tries to run, waddle, leap, plunge, reach out. It all fails.
Until.....
He tumbles into the sea. The depths. The glories. The majesty of the sea. He realizes he IS flying. He IS soaring. He has reached a different sky. One he is at home in and for which he is fitted.
And through this all he is awash in the calming, beautiful blues of sky and sea.
A lovely book.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from Eerdmans Young Readers (Eerdmans Publishing) to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine, alone, and are freely given.
January 7, 2020
This is the favorite of the books I read to Alena today. I really like the illustrations. The water color technique makes the penguin feathers look so soft. I like that Gilbert recognizes the beauty of the sky right out of the egg. He knows where he wants to go and what he wants to do. He tries so very hard to fly. Then he falls. He discovers the "second sky" where he can soar. So many times in life we think we want to be somewhere that's not meant for us. When we find what suits us and embrace it with gratitude we can truly fly.
May 1, 2019
A little penguin doesn't know he can't fly, but it's truly what he wants to do. Lovely story.
June 5, 2019
The Second Sky by Patrick Guest, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley. PICTURE BOOK. Eerdmans Books, 2019. $18. 9780802855206
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Gilbert’s first look at the world from his egg is of birds wheeling through the bright blue sky. Now that is all he wants to do. Try as he might, his feet are too big, his wings are too small, and he will never have enough feathers. It isn’t until he falls into the ocean that he sees that his watery world is as magical as the world above.
I felt so sorry for Gilbert as he pursued flying, but as soon as he tumbled into the water, Bentley’s gorgeous artwork drew me down too – and reminded me of the magical world underneath! I can’t wait to share this!
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH
Gilbert’s first look at the world from his egg is of birds wheeling through the bright blue sky. Now that is all he wants to do. Try as he might, his feet are too big, his wings are too small, and he will never have enough feathers. It isn’t until he falls into the ocean that he sees that his watery world is as magical as the world above.
I felt so sorry for Gilbert as he pursued flying, but as soon as he tumbled into the water, Bentley’s gorgeous artwork drew me down too – and reminded me of the magical world underneath! I can’t wait to share this!
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...
January 10, 2021
Πολύ ωραίο μήνυμα και υπέροχη εικονογράφηση.
Ας γίνουν όλα τα παιδάκια Γκίλμπερτ και να πετάξουν συον δικό τους «δεύτερο» ουρανό.
Ας γίνουν όλα τα παιδάκια Γκίλμπερτ και να πετάξουν συον δικό τους «δεύτερο» ουρανό.
June 4, 2019
Has an important message and really cute art!
July 19, 2019
Gilbert sees the sky the second he is born and knows that he wants to be up there with the albatross, the shearwaters and the storm petrels but Gilbert is a penguin...
May 14, 2019
Like a beautiful picture book version of Who Moved My Cheese for penguins. In a good way. Recommended for ages 4-8 (and career counselors).
June 24, 2019
Once while I was in a penguin exhibit, the zookeeper described the way that penguins glide through the water as a kind of flight. That image has stuck with me all these years. I wonder if the author of this book had a similar experience. This idea is illustrated beautifully in the tender story of a young penguin who dreams of flying. The book may be a bit poetic for the preschool crowd, but I think the older children would enjoy it.
March 13, 2019
A newly-hatched penguin yearns to fly and finally finds a way.
Guest's sweet story is almost overshadowed by his magnificent illustrations which manage to be both adorable and glorious.
I am yearning to frame some of these enchanting pages!
Guest's sweet story is almost overshadowed by his magnificent illustrations which manage to be both adorable and glorious.
I am yearning to frame some of these enchanting pages!
February 21, 2019
Dreams can come true, even if not in the way we first think they should.
March 5, 2019
A baby penguin dreams of flying. Originally published in Australia.
March 13, 2019
A little penguin who longs to fly, finds flight in a place other than the sky.
April 3, 2019
A delightful story which makes you still want to reach for the stars, in your own environment.
April 8, 2019
It's a lovely story about finding your true self
April 19, 2019
Sweet story about Gilbert the penguin and how he learns to fly. Gorgeous illustrations.
October 7, 2019
Finding your own unique gifts....darling and gorgeous illustrations.
October 18, 2019
Sometimes, you get something even more amazing that you initially wished for!
July 6, 2019
One thing I love about Eerdmans Books is that they publish many books for kids from other countries. So much about them seems different than books written in the U.S., which is illuminating on a meta level, and makes them all the more interesting.
This one comes from an Australian author, and is about Gilbert, a newly born penguin. Upon Gilbert’s first glance out of his egg, he sees the moon, stars, and birds wheeling overhead, and wants to be one of those birds; in fact, he assumes he is!
But Gilbert cannot get the knack of flying:
“. . . Gilbert had big clumsy feet
And small fluffy wings.”
That didn’t stop him from trying.
“He waddled
And flapped,
waddled
And flapped.
But instead of flying,
He slipped on the ice,
Tripped on the rocks, and
Stumbled over his sleeping family.”
Finally he decides to follow an albatross to the top of a cliff and soar off after him.
Gilbert took off, but instead of soaring, went “down down down…”
He splashed into the sea and sank. When he opened his eyes, he saw stars and moons, floating forests, and mighty mountaintops. Delighted, he spread his wings and flew through the water.
Watercolor washes by illustrator Jonathan Bentley take us from the snowy penguin world above water to the blues and greens of their undersea habitat. Children in the intended audience of ages 3-6 will want to cuddle Gilbert, shown as all fluffy in shades of white, grey, and black.
Evaluation: Readers will learn about penguin habitats in this book, and the birds with whom penguins share it. In addition, they will see that while Gilbert may be small and young, he is confident and persistent from the moment he comes into the world. His positive attitude makes all the difference, allowing him to be all that he can be.
This one comes from an Australian author, and is about Gilbert, a newly born penguin. Upon Gilbert’s first glance out of his egg, he sees the moon, stars, and birds wheeling overhead, and wants to be one of those birds; in fact, he assumes he is!
But Gilbert cannot get the knack of flying:
“. . . Gilbert had big clumsy feet
And small fluffy wings.”
That didn’t stop him from trying.
“He waddled
And flapped,
waddled
And flapped.
But instead of flying,
He slipped on the ice,
Tripped on the rocks, and
Stumbled over his sleeping family.”
Finally he decides to follow an albatross to the top of a cliff and soar off after him.
Gilbert took off, but instead of soaring, went “down down down…”
He splashed into the sea and sank. When he opened his eyes, he saw stars and moons, floating forests, and mighty mountaintops. Delighted, he spread his wings and flew through the water.
Watercolor washes by illustrator Jonathan Bentley take us from the snowy penguin world above water to the blues and greens of their undersea habitat. Children in the intended audience of ages 3-6 will want to cuddle Gilbert, shown as all fluffy in shades of white, grey, and black.
Evaluation: Readers will learn about penguin habitats in this book, and the birds with whom penguins share it. In addition, they will see that while Gilbert may be small and young, he is confident and persistent from the moment he comes into the world. His positive attitude makes all the difference, allowing him to be all that he can be.
June 25, 2018
A delightful story of a baby penguin who aspires to fly and practices to no avail. Inspired by a passing albatross, Gilbert opts for height rather than the beat of wings with potentially disasterous results - but all ends well when if discovers the 'sky' in his natural element. This is a beautifully told story with humour, tension and fortitude conveyed throughout. Jonathan Bentley's illustrations are glorious with movement and action throughout as Gilbert is portrayed in a series of ridiculous flying attempts across the page. Highly recommended for early childhood.
Shortlisted for the 2018 CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood (and my favourite!)
Shortlisted for the 2018 CBCA Book of the Year: Early Childhood (and my favourite!)
June 26, 2023
I fell in love with this beautiful book the moment I spotted the front cover. I knew the illustrations were going to be out of this world and I hoped the story would be also. I was not disappointed. This is an absolutely gorgeous book. The end pages with their impressions of water and sky have an old world oil-painter feel to them; beautiful! And then we get Gilbert the baby penguin’s first view of life; a gorgeous blue night sky with a moon and stars and flying birds. And Gilbert knew where he wanted to be. Up up up. However, Gilbert was small and fluffy and had big clumsy feet. (BUT he is the cutest penguin you ever saw anywhere anytime!) Gilbert tries and tries to get airborne but never does. One day he sees an Albatross soar and realizes he’s been doing things all wrong! Following the Albatross Gilbert gets himself into a bit of trouble and does something quite shocking. Happily his rash actions reveal a huge life-lesson and Gilbert gets to fly at last! Well, sort of.
This is a beautifully crafted picture book and a wonderful read. It leaves you feeling all warm and happy. I highly recommend this gorgeous book. And it gets my, Huggable Book Award!
This is a beautifully crafted picture book and a wonderful read. It leaves you feeling all warm and happy. I highly recommend this gorgeous book. And it gets my, Huggable Book Award!
December 13, 2019
This was is different in that you have a main character who figures out a new perspective without an adult prompting them, or giving advice. The little penguin wants to fly and tries several different ways. One of his attempts dumps him into the ocean, and he flies through the water. A nice way to show that if you keep trying you may not get what you want/expect, but failure can lead to success.
March 5, 2023
This is a super cute book. I love penguins. The illustrations are adorable and it's true they do fly in the water.
**This book is the same book as Born to Fly, they are the exact same story just with different titles. Not sure why they re-issued this under a different title but just be careful when you are browsing your library.
**This book is the same book as Born to Fly, they are the exact same story just with different titles. Not sure why they re-issued this under a different title but just be careful when you are browsing your library.
February 21, 2019
A moving story about a penguin's desire to soar like an albatross. Gilbert stumbles on an innovative but authentic way of fulfilling his dream, lifting this story from what would otherwise be a predictable try, try again and you will succeed tale.
December 10, 2019
Cute book with a lot of similarities to "I Can Fly" (though I think this one came out first). The illustrations are pretty striking at times. The little penguin wants to fly like the birds it sees in the sky, then realizes that swimming is a lot like flying!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews