Little Penguin Rescue

Little Animal Rescue #3

by Rachel Delahaye, Suzie Mason (Illustrations), Artful Doodlers (Illustrations)

In this new chapter book series, Little Animal Rescue, what starts out as a day in the snow for Callie and her friends ends up becoming the adventure of a lifetime when Callie is magically whisked away to the Antarctic where she finds a little lost penguin. Includes black and white illustrations throughout.

While in the middle of a snowball fight, Callie is magically whisked away to the Antarctic where she is thrilled to meet a colony of penguins, ready to march north for the winter! But then a blizzard blows in, separating a baby penguin and its injured mother from the group. Can Callie battle the icy cold and a sea full of predators to save her feathery friends?

In the Little Animal Rescue series, join Callie on her magical adventures to rescue wild animals in danger all around the world!

Genres: Animals, Fantasy, Friendship

128 pages, Hardcover

Published October 6, 2020

About the author

Rachel Delahaye writes children's fiction. Her teen sci-fi, Electric Life was longlisted for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, and her upper middle-grade eco thriller Day of the Whale was nominated for the 2023 Yoto Carnegie.

Her catalogue includes a middle-grade series called Mort the Meek - a dark and gruesome comedy, described as 'Pratchetesque' by The Guardian, an animal adventure series published by Little Tiger, and a three-book comedy series, Jim Reaper, published with Piccadilly Press.

There are more middle grade and teen projects on the horizon. Rachel also writes fiction and poetry for accelerated reading schemes and Level Readers to help children gain reading confidence.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every month our library system sends around an e-newsletter that shares library staff recommendations for books. This book was one of them.

I thought why not select a children’s book to read? Besides, who doesn’t love a cute penguin?

Premise: While in the middle of a snowball fight, Callie heads off to her Dads’ shed, only to find herself magically transported to a research station in the Antarctic in the midst of a penguin adventure.

With predators.

And a blizzard.

With a blizzard comes danger.

Will she be able to save a Mom and her baby she has named Una so that they can make their migration in time?

And…

Get back home to her own life?

Even though the transition/magical transportation from backyard to Antarctica was rather quick and without any real explanation, it was an easy-to-read story that gave wonderful background on penguins.

The pencil drawings were well-done and the camaraderie among the children playing before and after Callie’s Antarctic exploration was wonderfully written.

Recommended for kids between ages 6-9 years old who are comfortable with reading basic chapter books.

[Andrew Sammut · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a rather pleasant read however I'm surprised that Fliss's friends didn't seem to care that she was gone for such a long time. I wouldn't have really called them friends after being treated in such a way. Then again, Delahaye doesn't seem to give us much of a timeframe. I found myself buying this as though I had no choice due to the fact that it had a penguin on the cover and I'm rather glad I did. I haven't been feeling too well this week but this was sweet and did improve my mood since Fliss wishes to become a vet when she's older and went out of her way to rescue a baby penguin from a leopard seal and a killer whale. Truthfully, I'm not convinced she did much but I do have the slight suspicion that this was all wishful thinking regardless so it didn't matter much. Very imaginative and also serves to teach a younger audience about different types of penguins and their chicks. I wouldn't say that it's a book which blew my mind or taught me something I didn't already know but it was a lovely addition to a week that would have otherwise been that much longer.

I love the irony of how I'm basically melting here in Malta whilst the characters in the book I just finished reading are all participating in a snowball fight. Absolutely lovely. I still wouldn't classify this as a Christmas book despite usually associating snow and penguins with that lovely time of year.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie, a little girl, loves animals and magically travels to other countries to see them. In this particular book, she travels to Antarctica to see the Adelie penguins where she helps rescue a baby penguin who has gotten separated from its mother.

This is one of a series of animals rescue books delightfully written so that children will learn more about the given animal. Great chapter book for second-third graders or read aloud for younger children.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Callie may be young, but she already knows what her future career will be. Because she loves animals so much, being a veterinarian seems the perfect fit. While playing with some friends in the snow one day, she goes into a nearby shed, shuts her eyes, and finds herself in Antarctica. She's safe and warm inside the shelter, which has plenty of supplies, but she heads outside to look at all the penguins. She eventually makes friend with a young penguin she decides to call Una. But playing isn't all the two of them do since Callie must protect Una from various animals in search of their next meal. Young readers will appreciate Callie's resourcefulness and how determined she is to help Una and Mama, the mother penguin. This title, part of a solid series that shows that even someone young can take action to make a difference in the world around him/her, would be good for a third or fourth grader.

[Bookworm86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting used to this series now and did enjoy reading this book. However not the same concept as zoe's rescue zoo for those who think it may be similar it's not

[Shaylee Chapman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another library find. Cute, but to be honest the boys weren't really into it.

[Nurul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series. Picked it up when doigg a recommended reading list for primary school students. Author shared some facts about different sea animals. Heart-warming ending.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book probably the most adventurous book yet as Fliss faced alot more challenges in this book than in Little Lion Rescue

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

well-illustrated tales of animal lovers--fantasy trip to the Antarctic.

[Linda Cousens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely children's book about a young girl who rescues a baby Adelie penguin in Antarctica.

[Lilyfae · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Little Penguin Rescue Fliss is transported from a snowball fight in her garden to the frozen landscape of Antarctica where she must help a baby penguin and his mother.

Merging the best messages of Holly Webb’s Animal Stories with Anne Booth’s Magical Kingdom of Birds as it includes both educational information about habitat, species and life skills in care for wild animals including respect even if you think they are cute and want to cuddle them.

Ideal for budding eco warriors it is also a wonderful environmentalist message embedded about conservation and action against climate change as we see the devastation that the penguins could befall if we lose more ice.