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Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers
This rib-tickling romp starring two hilarious stuffed animals is an excellent pick for discussing sleepovers with anxious little ones.
Duck and Penguin do not like sleepovers, despite what their owners, Betty and Maud, might have you think. They do not like snuggly sleeping bags, they do not like super-soft pillows, and they ESPECIALLY do NOT like being extra cozy together in a teeny-weeny tiny tent!
But when Betty and Maud abandon Duck and Penguin outside, Duck and Penguin have no choice but to stick together. The dark outside is full of strange noises, after all, and they have the oddest feeling that...something...is watching them.
From author-illustrator Julia Woolf, this picture book companion to Duck & Penguin Are NOT Friends is brightly illustrated and full of funny moments to share together.
Duck and Penguin do not like sleepovers, despite what their owners, Betty and Maud, might have you think. They do not like snuggly sleeping bags, they do not like super-soft pillows, and they ESPECIALLY do NOT like being extra cozy together in a teeny-weeny tiny tent!
But when Betty and Maud abandon Duck and Penguin outside, Duck and Penguin have no choice but to stick together. The dark outside is full of strange noises, after all, and they have the oddest feeling that...something...is watching them.
From author-illustrator Julia Woolf, this picture book companion to Duck & Penguin Are NOT Friends is brightly illustrated and full of funny moments to share together.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 2020
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 24, 2020
Best friends Betty and Maud are excited about their camping trip and they are completely unaware that their stuffed animals don't like each other. The humor of this story comes from the contrast between the cheerful words and actions of the two little girls and the grumpy displeasure of Duck and Penguin. When Duck and Penguin wander off in the dark, however, they bond a bit over common fears and make a new surprise friend as well. I could have done without this book introducing the word "tinkle" as a synonym for "pee," since my kids don't need any encouragement to talk about their bodily functions, but otherwise, this a fun book, and my 6-year-old especially liked it.
November 4, 2020
Betty and Maud are best friends. On this evening, they are having a sleepover in a teen-weeny tiny tent in the garden. Each has brought along their favorite toy: Duck and Penguin. Duck and Penguin are not best friends. They do not like sleepovers, especially in teeny-weeny tiny tents. Betty says they will all be “nice and cozy” in their teeny-weeny tiny tent. Duck and Penguin cannot image they will be so nice or so cozy. Seems what the girls like to do, Duck and Penguin do not like. Or maybe it’s just because they are there together. Did I mention that Duck and Penguin are not fond of each other?
Everyone gets into their jammies, including the reluctant plushies Duck and Penguin. (They wear onesies, how cute!) Soon after drinking a fizzy pop the girls need to make a bathroom run, leaving their friends alone . . . in the dark . . . with strange noises . . . with ground-dwelling creepy crawlers . . . and both have an awful feeling . . . something is watching them. Duck grabs the flashlight and the two make a run for the house.
Very quickly, Duck and Penguin are lost! It’s dark and the strange noises are worse outside. The two toys, dressed in their onesie jammies, run back to the tent. In a hurry, Duck drops the flashlight. Finally safe and sound in the tent, Duck and Penguin decide it’s not too bad being in a the teeny-weeny tiny tent after all. But there is that feeling. Sometime during the night, that something crawls into the tent. Betty and Maud sleep in nice cozy beds. When they return to the tent, they find Duck and Penguin . . . and one other creature. What could it be?
Betty and Maud believe everything they like, Duck and Penguin like in equal measure. They do not. The two non-friends tend to get into little scuffles. The tent is a pop-up and when it “POPS!” Penguin is too close. The tent POPS . . . Penguin also pops, and flies through the air. The girls think Penguin is very clever, while Duck laughs. Then Duck trips over the ties hold the tent steady. Yep, Penguin laughs.
The girls share with their friends, trying to give Duck and Penguin bottles of fizzy pop; the red striped straw pokes far from their mouths. Everything is a disaster for Duck and Penguin. Seems the more Betty and Maud enjoy themselves; the more Duck and Penguin have an awful time. This all makes for a giggle story child will enjoy.
The illustrations add to the fun. Duck’s and Penguin’s facial expressions are hilarious, yet subtle. Duck and Penguin are having a pushing match right before the tent POPS. Taking another look, Duck does not trip over the tie-outs. No, Penguin pushes Duck into the tie-out, causing the yellow critter to trip, face-planting on the ground. Not friends. In the teeny-weeny tiny tent, the girls mention how “supersoft” their pillows are, and how much Duck and Penguin will love the pillows. They are totally oblivious to the fighting plushies to their left.
When Duck and Penguin are outside, children will be able to spot various animals, all of which Duck and Penguin do not like. Look closely and you might find the yellow-eyed creature that is definitely following Duck and Penguin (for once the two agree on something; having the same creepy feeling something is watching them). As the two high tail it back to the teeny-weeny tiny tent, those yellow eyes are close behind. Another favorite illustration has the yellow-eyed creature in shadow at the back of the tent, courtesy of the dropped flashlight. Duck and Penguin are in the shadow’s arms.
Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers will tickle the funny bone of children and adults. This is a story that must be looked at closely, else readers will miss a lot of Duck’s and Penguin’s antics. Betty and Maud don’t look closely. They are cute little girls, oblivious to their toy’s fighting, making the story that much more entertaining. Most children will have their own favorite “Duck” or “Penguin” plush toy. Hopefully, after reading Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers, these children will be more observant of their plushie’s feelings, likes, and dislikes, especially when sharing the night (or day) with a friend and their favorite plush toy. In a way, Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers, is a service announcement and should be read many times over. Teachers, librarians, and parents will find Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers is the perfect storytime book.
Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers is the sequel to Duck and Penguin Are NOT Friends. While both are wonderful stand-alone stories, it might be best to read the first story for a clue as to Duck’s and Penguin’s NOT-friendship. (I’m guessing, as I have not had the joy of reading the initial story.) Based on the sequel (which we all know is never as good as the first), I am betting, from reviews, that the first and second are both whimsically equal and can be read in any order. (So much for what we all know about sequels.)
Duck and Penguin stories should be in every plushy-loving child’s bookcase. I am hoping Julia Woolf loves her Duck and Penguin enough to keep writing—and illustrating—more of their outings with Betty and Maud.
Everyone gets into their jammies, including the reluctant plushies Duck and Penguin. (They wear onesies, how cute!) Soon after drinking a fizzy pop the girls need to make a bathroom run, leaving their friends alone . . . in the dark . . . with strange noises . . . with ground-dwelling creepy crawlers . . . and both have an awful feeling . . . something is watching them. Duck grabs the flashlight and the two make a run for the house.
Very quickly, Duck and Penguin are lost! It’s dark and the strange noises are worse outside. The two toys, dressed in their onesie jammies, run back to the tent. In a hurry, Duck drops the flashlight. Finally safe and sound in the tent, Duck and Penguin decide it’s not too bad being in a the teeny-weeny tiny tent after all. But there is that feeling. Sometime during the night, that something crawls into the tent. Betty and Maud sleep in nice cozy beds. When they return to the tent, they find Duck and Penguin . . . and one other creature. What could it be?
Betty and Maud believe everything they like, Duck and Penguin like in equal measure. They do not. The two non-friends tend to get into little scuffles. The tent is a pop-up and when it “POPS!” Penguin is too close. The tent POPS . . . Penguin also pops, and flies through the air. The girls think Penguin is very clever, while Duck laughs. Then Duck trips over the ties hold the tent steady. Yep, Penguin laughs.
The girls share with their friends, trying to give Duck and Penguin bottles of fizzy pop; the red striped straw pokes far from their mouths. Everything is a disaster for Duck and Penguin. Seems the more Betty and Maud enjoy themselves; the more Duck and Penguin have an awful time. This all makes for a giggle story child will enjoy.
The illustrations add to the fun. Duck’s and Penguin’s facial expressions are hilarious, yet subtle. Duck and Penguin are having a pushing match right before the tent POPS. Taking another look, Duck does not trip over the tie-outs. No, Penguin pushes Duck into the tie-out, causing the yellow critter to trip, face-planting on the ground. Not friends. In the teeny-weeny tiny tent, the girls mention how “supersoft” their pillows are, and how much Duck and Penguin will love the pillows. They are totally oblivious to the fighting plushies to their left.
When Duck and Penguin are outside, children will be able to spot various animals, all of which Duck and Penguin do not like. Look closely and you might find the yellow-eyed creature that is definitely following Duck and Penguin (for once the two agree on something; having the same creepy feeling something is watching them). As the two high tail it back to the teeny-weeny tiny tent, those yellow eyes are close behind. Another favorite illustration has the yellow-eyed creature in shadow at the back of the tent, courtesy of the dropped flashlight. Duck and Penguin are in the shadow’s arms.
Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers will tickle the funny bone of children and adults. This is a story that must be looked at closely, else readers will miss a lot of Duck’s and Penguin’s antics. Betty and Maud don’t look closely. They are cute little girls, oblivious to their toy’s fighting, making the story that much more entertaining. Most children will have their own favorite “Duck” or “Penguin” plush toy. Hopefully, after reading Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers, these children will be more observant of their plushie’s feelings, likes, and dislikes, especially when sharing the night (or day) with a friend and their favorite plush toy. In a way, Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers, is a service announcement and should be read many times over. Teachers, librarians, and parents will find Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers is the perfect storytime book.
Duck and Penguin Do NOT Like Sleepovers is the sequel to Duck and Penguin Are NOT Friends. While both are wonderful stand-alone stories, it might be best to read the first story for a clue as to Duck’s and Penguin’s NOT-friendship. (I’m guessing, as I have not had the joy of reading the initial story.) Based on the sequel (which we all know is never as good as the first), I am betting, from reviews, that the first and second are both whimsically equal and can be read in any order. (So much for what we all know about sequels.)
Duck and Penguin stories should be in every plushy-loving child’s bookcase. I am hoping Julia Woolf loves her Duck and Penguin enough to keep writing—and illustrating—more of their outings with Betty and Maud.
September 13, 2020
See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...
DUCK AND PENGUIN DO NOT LIKE SLEEPOVERS is an overall cute book about two stuffed animals whose owners are BFFs - but they do not like each other. Betty and Maud are thrilled to be having a sleepover in a teeny-weeny tiny tent in their backyard. Duck and Penguin would rather not. When they all get settled down, they drink some fizzy pop which leads to Betty and Maud running back to the house and leaving Duck and Penguin behind. Duck and Penguin decide to go back to the house too, but then there are all sorts of sounds in the night.
What I loved: The illustrations really tell the story here, and I loved all the detail. Particularly the scenes at night are great, as the reader can see things Duck and Penguin cannot, such as the bugs, owls, and other nighttime creatures. The book manages to be not at all scary for the readers even though Duck and Penguin do get a bit scared. They do not say anything during the book, with only Betty and Maud cheerily chiming in throughout. This is an interested juxtaposition with what we see in the illustrations (their excitement vs. Duck and Penguin's unhappiness). I do really like that Duck and Penguin end up working together at the end a bit and there's some great humor throughout.
What left me wanting more: I appreciate some grumpy characters and am even OK with verbal conflict (when it can teach about conflict resolution). The part that I found a little troubling was the physical confrontations between Duck and Penguin, where one is shoving the other or pushing a pillow over the other. This is not spoken in the text and only appears in the illustrations, so this could go over little one's heads, but I would have appreciated more grumpy faces vs. pushing. This was probably due to Duck and Penguin being nonverbal and wanting to show the conflict, but this conflict is shown and the resolution is not full (no apologies because they don't talk, but we do see them working together).
Final verdict: Overall, this is a cute picture book about friends and not friends that is told primarily through the illustrations. Bright colors and fun details make this a fun book to look at and tell a fun story about a sleepover between two young girls and their stuffed animals.
Please note that I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
DUCK AND PENGUIN DO NOT LIKE SLEEPOVERS is an overall cute book about two stuffed animals whose owners are BFFs - but they do not like each other. Betty and Maud are thrilled to be having a sleepover in a teeny-weeny tiny tent in their backyard. Duck and Penguin would rather not. When they all get settled down, they drink some fizzy pop which leads to Betty and Maud running back to the house and leaving Duck and Penguin behind. Duck and Penguin decide to go back to the house too, but then there are all sorts of sounds in the night.
What I loved: The illustrations really tell the story here, and I loved all the detail. Particularly the scenes at night are great, as the reader can see things Duck and Penguin cannot, such as the bugs, owls, and other nighttime creatures. The book manages to be not at all scary for the readers even though Duck and Penguin do get a bit scared. They do not say anything during the book, with only Betty and Maud cheerily chiming in throughout. This is an interested juxtaposition with what we see in the illustrations (their excitement vs. Duck and Penguin's unhappiness). I do really like that Duck and Penguin end up working together at the end a bit and there's some great humor throughout.
What left me wanting more: I appreciate some grumpy characters and am even OK with verbal conflict (when it can teach about conflict resolution). The part that I found a little troubling was the physical confrontations between Duck and Penguin, where one is shoving the other or pushing a pillow over the other. This is not spoken in the text and only appears in the illustrations, so this could go over little one's heads, but I would have appreciated more grumpy faces vs. pushing. This was probably due to Duck and Penguin being nonverbal and wanting to show the conflict, but this conflict is shown and the resolution is not full (no apologies because they don't talk, but we do see them working together).
Final verdict: Overall, this is a cute picture book about friends and not friends that is told primarily through the illustrations. Bright colors and fun details make this a fun book to look at and tell a fun story about a sleepover between two young girls and their stuffed animals.
Please note that I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
May 29, 2020
From the creative mind that provided readers with Duck and Penguin are NOT Friends, this picture book provides ready evidence that this author has a firm grasp on what children are like and what their beloved stuffed animals might be thinking if they were alive. In this installment, the four characters from the previous book have been reunited, and Betty and Maude are excited about having a sleepover in the back yard. They are sure that Duck and Penguin will also enjoy the outing, but their stuffed animal friends are not impressed with the small tent or anything about sleeping outdoors. When the girls abandon them to use the bathroom and never return, the toys decide to join the girls. But there are scary sounds and eerie eyes watching them in the dark, and they abandon their plans to return to the tent. Young readers will get a kick out of the dark shapes and shadows that turn out to be Kitty Cat and how content that feline looks as it clutches Duck and Penguin while sleeping. The plot itself is familiar, but the illustrations, created with mono printing, hand painted, and then digitally colored, are what makes this story work so well. They capture Duck and Penguin's facial expressions perfectly and are noteworthy because the toys clearly are not enjoying what the girls think they are enjoying.
June 5, 2020
Oh I do adore a book where the illustrations let readers in on a joke. In this one Betty and Maud are best friends so they naturally assume that their favorite stuffed friends, Duck and Penguin, are besties too. The illustrations however tell a different story. When the friends decide to have a sleepover Duck and Penguin are less than thrilled. While the girls misinterpret the stuffed friends' opinions, the reader will giggle at the illustrations that reveal an entirely different story. A sweet, funny book that will have kids laughing and maybe thinking about their own stuffed friends a little differently.
December 2, 2020
The illustrations are colorful and the text works well with its placement. This isn't a book I would recommend to introduce sleepovers with friends to a child, but it may be a fun read for children that have been on sleepovers. The concept of imaginative play is explored with Duck & Penguin, so activities to suggest with children may be to have some of their stuffed animal friends sleep somewhere else in the house then make up a story with them. Thank you to Peachtree Publishing Company for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
June 6, 2020
This is a cute little book. There are two very different stories being told here, one in the words and a very different one in the artwork. This is a book about working together and getting along, something that the stuffed animals of best friends have to learn. A great read aloud book with lots of room for discussion.
March 31, 2021
I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is adorable and so much fun. It's a great book to use with students to talk about facial expressions and how we have to read what duck and penguin are thinking from their faces and how they contrast with the expressions of the kids.
This is adorable and so much fun. It's a great book to use with students to talk about facial expressions and how we have to read what duck and penguin are thinking from their faces and how they contrast with the expressions of the kids.
August 18, 2020
Betty and Maud are thrilled about their first sleepover, but their favorite toys, Duck and Penguin, are not. A fun, cheerful romp.
November 19, 2020
A preschool and up book two girls having a back yard sleepover with their stuffed animals who do not get along. cute
February 9, 2021
Such a cute way to broach fears about sleepovers or camping out.
March 21, 2022
Chuckle worthy.
June 14, 2021
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is Duck & Penguin Do Not Like Sleepovers by Julia Woolf, the return to the reluctant playmates from Duck & Penguin Are Not Friends.
Bestest pals Betty and Maud are back… along with their beleaguered stuffies (Duck and Penguin, respectively). While Betty and Maud adore each other’s company, Duck and Penguin are no closer than they were in the first title – to be blunt, they despise one another. So as Betty and Maud prepare for a camping sleepover by setting up their tent, cozying into pajamas, and sipping fizzy sodas, Duck and Penguin are busy silently fighting, scowling, and sabotaging each other. Yet when the girls need to run inside for a potty break – leaving the toys behind – the noises and darkness of the night cause them to cuddle a little closer, despite their differences.
Silly fun. Once again, this unique tale of anti-friendship draws a great deal of comedy from the animosity between the titular characters. The matter-of-fact narration, infectiously joyful voices of the girls, and expressive illustrations of the toys work together perfectly to sell Duck and Penguin’s predicament, as well as the scary (but not too scary) nighttime elements that help bring them together – including a genuinely hilarious final spread. This one is less a lesson in unlikely friendship and more a straightforward comedy, and it works all the better for it; Duck and Penguin’s reconciliation is hinted at on the endpapers, but isn’t included in the narrative. The length is perfect, JJ was giggling all the way through, and this was just a lovely, entertaining read – Baby Bookworm approved!
(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
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