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Spike: The Penguin With Rainbow Hair
He only wants to fit in. When one young penguin realizes his hair is all the wrong colors, how far will he go to stop the stares?
Spike the Penguin wishes he wasn’t different. Even though his parents tell him his bright red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple mohawk is beautiful, he still wants to hide his head under his flippers. Determined to find a way to be like everyone else, the sad little guy sets out on an Antarctic adventure!
Diving deep into the ocean to seek a solution, Spike tries out seashell hats, squid-ink dye jobs, and a seal hair salon. But when no one can make him look just right, he fears he’ll never be happy… until his friends share something unexpected.
Can this little penguin learn to appreciate his perfectly awesome plumage?
Spike, The Penguin With Rainbow Hair is a heartwarming children’s picture book written in playful rhyme that shares a great message about self acceptance.
Spike the Penguin wishes he wasn’t different. Even though his parents tell him his bright red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple mohawk is beautiful, he still wants to hide his head under his flippers. Determined to find a way to be like everyone else, the sad little guy sets out on an Antarctic adventure!
Diving deep into the ocean to seek a solution, Spike tries out seashell hats, squid-ink dye jobs, and a seal hair salon. But when no one can make him look just right, he fears he’ll never be happy… until his friends share something unexpected.
Can this little penguin learn to appreciate his perfectly awesome plumage?
Spike, The Penguin With Rainbow Hair is a heartwarming children’s picture book written in playful rhyme that shares a great message about self acceptance.
15 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2021
195 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Cullen
92 books10 followersSarah Cullen is one of the authors behind Ocean Tales Children's Books.
Sarah writes this series with her sister Carmen, and together they have a huge love of nature and like to spread awareness about protecting our oceans.
Sarah and Carmen also own a travel company called Majestic Whale Encounters, where they take like minded people on tours to beautiful locations around the world.
Sarah has two young boys, Logan and Finn, who have been her inspiration and absolutely love taking a peak at all the
illustrations before anyone else gets to. Ocean Tales Children's Books was created to spread joy and hope to all the ocean loving kids and adults around the world.
Sarah writes this series with her sister Carmen, and together they have a huge love of nature and like to spread awareness about protecting our oceans.
Sarah and Carmen also own a travel company called Majestic Whale Encounters, where they take like minded people on tours to beautiful locations around the world.
Sarah has two young boys, Logan and Finn, who have been her inspiration and absolutely love taking a peak at all the
illustrations before anyone else gets to. Ocean Tales Children's Books was created to spread joy and hope to all the ocean loving kids and adults around the world.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
September 3, 2021
Read for my toddler’s bedtime. A baby penguin just hatched and he has colorful hair. He tried every which way to get rid of it because he didn’t like being different but he couldn’t and he felt miserable. This story reminded me of The Red Nose Reindeer, The Oddbird, The Purple Frog, and The Ugly Duckling. Good rhyming story. Cute illustrations.
Read from kindle unlimited.
Read from kindle unlimited.
April 27, 2021
We should never be scared to stand out.
This is a lovely book which gives a clear message that it's ok to be different. The illustrations are beautiful, the rhyming is excellent and I'd highly recommend it for all kids. It may even have convinced me to get a multicoloured mohawk too!
This is a lovely book which gives a clear message that it's ok to be different. The illustrations are beautiful, the rhyming is excellent and I'd highly recommend it for all kids. It may even have convinced me to get a multicoloured mohawk too!
February 10, 2023
Bookish Books Reading Challenge
November 27, 2021
Beautifully illustrated book.
February 2, 2023
Nice rhyming picture book with cute illustrations. High vocabulary level may be better suited for older children.
April 28, 2021
This book is spectacular, from the gorgeous cover, to the perfect rhyme and to the beautiful illustrations.
Spike, an adorable little penguin, doesn’t love his rainbow hair and tries to hide it in numerous ways because he doesn’t want to look different from other penguins.
The message of loving yourself just as you are is such an important one for kids.
Children everywhere will want to take Spike home.
He is the cutest penguin ever!
A bonus is the penguin fact sheet.
This wonderful book is a keeper.
Spike, an adorable little penguin, doesn’t love his rainbow hair and tries to hide it in numerous ways because he doesn’t want to look different from other penguins.
The message of loving yourself just as you are is such an important one for kids.
Children everywhere will want to take Spike home.
He is the cutest penguin ever!
A bonus is the penguin fact sheet.
This wonderful book is a keeper.
Read
August 14, 2021Sweet book about loving oneself
This is a sweet book that teaches children (and adults) to love themselves the way they are. This is a story about a little penguin that was born with colorful hair. His hair was shaped like a Mohawk so his family named him Spike. Spike did not like his colorful hair and tried to find ways to hide it or get rid of it. But nothing he did worked. When he goes to his friends for help, they say something to him that makes him see himself in a positive way. Sweet, simple and easy to read. Cute illustrations too!
This is a sweet book that teaches children (and adults) to love themselves the way they are. This is a story about a little penguin that was born with colorful hair. His hair was shaped like a Mohawk so his family named him Spike. Spike did not like his colorful hair and tried to find ways to hide it or get rid of it. But nothing he did worked. When he goes to his friends for help, they say something to him that makes him see himself in a positive way. Sweet, simple and easy to read. Cute illustrations too!
June 7, 2022
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Spike
Author: Sarah Cullen, Carmen Ellis, ill. by Zuzana Svobodova
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 20
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 5/5
Of the 20 readers:
20 would read another book by this author.
20 thought the cover was good or excellent.
20 felt it was easy to follow.
20 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
20 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
20 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“I thought this story was really fun. I like Spike a lot and I thought his hair looked cool. I like the ending too when Spike worked out he was OK the way he was.” Boy, aged 8
“I wish I had a Mohican like Spike the penguin. But I don't think my mum would be too keen. This story is fun to read as it's rhyming and the penguin has a cool adventure going into the sea. I liked all the fishy characters and the ending was fab.” Girl, aged 8
“This is a very enjoyable story for 5 to 8 year olds following a little penguin who gets upset when he feels he is different. But, with a little help from his pals, he begins to understand how wonderful it can be to be unique. This is an excellent story for young children wrapped up in rhyming verse and helped along by vibrant, colorful illustrations.” Primary school teacher, aged 55
“A sweetly told story with an underlying message of the importance of acceptance and not being embarrassed about being different. This would go down well with schools.” Mum of 6 year old
To Sum It Up:
‘A superbly illustrated picturebook with a strong message of ´be proud of who you are´. A SILVER MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
Title: Spike
Author: Sarah Cullen, Carmen Ellis, ill. by Zuzana Svobodova
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 20
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 10/10
Cover: 5/5
Of the 20 readers:
20 would read another book by this author.
20 thought the cover was good or excellent.
20 felt it was easy to follow.
20 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 10 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
20 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
20 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
“I thought this story was really fun. I like Spike a lot and I thought his hair looked cool. I like the ending too when Spike worked out he was OK the way he was.” Boy, aged 8
“I wish I had a Mohican like Spike the penguin. But I don't think my mum would be too keen. This story is fun to read as it's rhyming and the penguin has a cool adventure going into the sea. I liked all the fishy characters and the ending was fab.” Girl, aged 8
“This is a very enjoyable story for 5 to 8 year olds following a little penguin who gets upset when he feels he is different. But, with a little help from his pals, he begins to understand how wonderful it can be to be unique. This is an excellent story for young children wrapped up in rhyming verse and helped along by vibrant, colorful illustrations.” Primary school teacher, aged 55
“A sweetly told story with an underlying message of the importance of acceptance and not being embarrassed about being different. This would go down well with schools.” Mum of 6 year old
To Sum It Up:
‘A superbly illustrated picturebook with a strong message of ´be proud of who you are´. A SILVER MEDAL WINNER and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
August 7, 2021
The penguins watched as the egg hatched.
They called him Spike, he was different.
Spike had rainbow hair.
When Spike jumped in the ocean nothing happened to his hair.
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
An awesome book cover, great hand-drawn colored pictures, charming illustrations & proper font & writing style. A very professionally written children’s (preschool/elementary age) Penguin storybook. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters, settings, etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great children’s educational presentation (be happy with how you were born), Penguin movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini-TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an extremely easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; FreeBooksy; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Kindle Mobi; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
They called him Spike, he was different.
Spike had rainbow hair.
When Spike jumped in the ocean nothing happened to his hair.
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
An awesome book cover, great hand-drawn colored pictures, charming illustrations & proper font & writing style. A very professionally written children’s (preschool/elementary age) Penguin storybook. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters, settings, etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great children’s educational presentation (be happy with how you were born), Penguin movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini-TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an extremely easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free author; FreeBooksy; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Kindle Mobi; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
April 16, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. I loved it so much I read it to my husband. He laughed and said I was being a teacher. However, he loved it as well. I am a sucker for stories that rhyme. They did a wonderful job with that. The story is of a young penguin born with a tuft of rainbow colored hair on top of his head. His parents are so proud of him and name him Spike. Spike is not fond of his hair and tries everything he can to make his rainbow colored hair go away. The lesson to be learned is that we are all different and we don’t need to be the same to fit in. This is a wonderful book to teach such a wonderful lesson geared for the youngest of children.
The Illustrator, Zuzana Svobodova is a wonderful artist. The colors she chose are soft and colorful, except for his bright tuft of hair. The penguins are cute and cuddly. I kept thinking that I would love to have a stuffed penguin who looked just like Spike. I personally think it would be a beautiful addition to go with the book. I will still share this with my grandchildren. They love reading them even if they are older and read on their own. It is all in how you present it to them. Highly recommended to parents, grandparents and teachers.
The Illustrator, Zuzana Svobodova is a wonderful artist. The colors she chose are soft and colorful, except for his bright tuft of hair. The penguins are cute and cuddly. I kept thinking that I would love to have a stuffed penguin who looked just like Spike. I personally think it would be a beautiful addition to go with the book. I will still share this with my grandchildren. They love reading them even if they are older and read on their own. It is all in how you present it to them. Highly recommended to parents, grandparents and teachers.
April 28, 2021
Storybook perfection!
My kids loved the cover so much they were excited to read this. WIN! Spike is the character you embrace as an adult because we want our children to feel inclusion and acceptance. This beautifully written rhyming story captured the tender hearts of my children and gave us an opportunity to discuss their own feelings about what sets them apart from their peers and what they should do if someone they know feels apprehensive about their own appearance. Loving yourself for who they are and our friends that don’t look the same is why we share a world of beauty. This story nails this in minutes. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous too. My kids slowly scanned each page with admiration. Spike is awesome. Highly recommend.
My kids loved the cover so much they were excited to read this. WIN! Spike is the character you embrace as an adult because we want our children to feel inclusion and acceptance. This beautifully written rhyming story captured the tender hearts of my children and gave us an opportunity to discuss their own feelings about what sets them apart from their peers and what they should do if someone they know feels apprehensive about their own appearance. Loving yourself for who they are and our friends that don’t look the same is why we share a world of beauty. This story nails this in minutes. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous too. My kids slowly scanned each page with admiration. Spike is awesome. Highly recommend.
February 2, 2023
Spike: The Penguin With Rainbow Hair by Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis is a stand alone, children’s rhyming book focusing on SPIKE, a young penguin born with a rainbow striped ‘Mohawk’.
Told in AABB rhyming scheme, SPIKE: The Penguin with the Rainbow Hair follows young Spike as he struggles to fit in. Not wanting to be different, Spike attempts to hide, color and/or cut his hair but the next morning, the colorful Mohawk is back.
SPIKE: The Penguin with Rainbow Hair is a story of acceptance; of self esteem; of differences. There is no bullying, no shaming, no betrayal. SPIKE is a story of accepting your differences. The images are colorful, bright and cute; the text is simple and easy. Suitable for children under 5 years of age.
Told in AABB rhyming scheme, SPIKE: The Penguin with the Rainbow Hair follows young Spike as he struggles to fit in. Not wanting to be different, Spike attempts to hide, color and/or cut his hair but the next morning, the colorful Mohawk is back.
SPIKE: The Penguin with Rainbow Hair is a story of acceptance; of self esteem; of differences. There is no bullying, no shaming, no betrayal. SPIKE is a story of accepting your differences. The images are colorful, bright and cute; the text is simple and easy. Suitable for children under 5 years of age.
April 28, 2021
Beautifully illustrated, rhyming story about a young penguin who is just a little different. It takes a while for him to accept himself and that's the subtle message of this wonderful book. Kids will enjoy the amazing colors, Antarctic scenery and the familiar animals. I'm sure plenty of them will relate to Spike. We all have our special features, let's show them off and not hide them. Great story about being yourself and not worrying about fitting in. Be special, stand out, no need to blend in.
May 2, 2021
This is my new favourite picture by far. We need Spike plush toys like yesterday, how adorable is he 🥰
Not only are the illustrations are so beautiful they make me go all gushy but the story is a beautiful one too
Spike is the penguin with rainbow hair. Spike doesn’t like his rainbow hair though as it makes him stand out when he just wants to blend in.
This is an amazing story to show kids that it’s ok to stand out and not be the same as everyone else, people love you just the way you are!
I’m recommending this one to all my friends with little ones
Not only are the illustrations are so beautiful they make me go all gushy but the story is a beautiful one too
Spike is the penguin with rainbow hair. Spike doesn’t like his rainbow hair though as it makes him stand out when he just wants to blend in.
This is an amazing story to show kids that it’s ok to stand out and not be the same as everyone else, people love you just the way you are!
I’m recommending this one to all my friends with little ones
November 3, 2021
Spike was born with a rainbow tuff of hair on his forehead. His parents love it but Spike doesn't want to stand out. So he tries various ways to disguise his hair. He finds a seashell to use for a hat, but it's too heavy. He gets some ink from his squid friend but the water rinses it away. He even gets a seal barber to cut it off, but grows back. Ultimately his friend convince him that his rainbow do is what makes him unique and they love it. I don't know if this book was intended for gay kids but it certainly works as a great metaphor.
February 12, 2023
This book is part of a series of picture books that feature the ocean and its creatures.
Spike, a penguin, is unique because he has rainbow hair. He searches for ways to fit in with his fellow penguins. Spike tries dyeing, cutting, and hiding his hair. He fails to understand that this unique characteristic appeals to his likeability. The only one Spike does not please is himself.
The rhymes are cute, and the illustrations adorable. It teaches a lesson while entertaining toddlers, preschoolers, and primary grade readers.
Spike, a penguin, is unique because he has rainbow hair. He searches for ways to fit in with his fellow penguins. Spike tries dyeing, cutting, and hiding his hair. He fails to understand that this unique characteristic appeals to his likeability. The only one Spike does not please is himself.
The rhymes are cute, and the illustrations adorable. It teaches a lesson while entertaining toddlers, preschoolers, and primary grade readers.
September 1, 2025
Spike, The Penguin With Rainbow Hair is an adorable story with a powerful message. The rhyming text is fun to read aloud, and the illustrations are bright and engaging. My nieces couldn’t stop giggling at Spike’s silly attempts to fit in. By the end, they learned an important lesson about loving yourself just the way you are. This book is a gem for children’s storytime, and it even inspired me for my own penguin picture book project coming in October. If you’re looking for a sweet, funny, and meaningful read, Spike is perfect!
September 9, 2021
Poor Spike, he is born with such beautiful rainbow hair but he doesn't like it. He just doesn't want to be different than his friends and feels that he doesn't fit it. The book follows Spike's attempts to get rid of the colourful tuft.
What a beautiful story of building confidence in own looks and the uniqueness of each person. Truly enjoyable.
Zuzana Svobodova's illustrations are the perfect match for this book. Absolutely stunning.
What a beautiful story of building confidence in own looks and the uniqueness of each person. Truly enjoyable.
Zuzana Svobodova's illustrations are the perfect match for this book. Absolutely stunning.
October 6, 2021
Be proud of yourself
When Spike is born different than his other penguin friends, he tries to get rid of his differences by dying his hair and even cutting it off. But he soon learns that his hair is a piece of him that makes him special and his friends love that about him. It’s the perfect book to celebrate our differences and what makes us unique. Another wonderful book by Sarah and Carmen!
When Spike is born different than his other penguin friends, he tries to get rid of his differences by dying his hair and even cutting it off. But he soon learns that his hair is a piece of him that makes him special and his friends love that about him. It’s the perfect book to celebrate our differences and what makes us unique. Another wonderful book by Sarah and Carmen!
August 28, 2023
This entire book series is absolutely adorable! The illustrations are bright and colorful. They definitely kept my toddlers attention. As a natural redhead I can totally relate to standing out and just wanting to look like everyone else at times. So the story was beautifully done showing that it’s ok to stand out and be unique. Then the last page put the cherry on top for me because I love a good bit of knowledge with any children’s book.
June 10, 2021
A cute and well versed rhyming book
My children thoroughly enjoyed this book! The rhyming flowed very well and was easy for younger readers to understand. It was a heartwarming story about a penguin that wanted to be the same as everyone else, but soon realizes it’s OK to be different! Highly recommended!
My children thoroughly enjoyed this book! The rhyming flowed very well and was easy for younger readers to understand. It was a heartwarming story about a penguin that wanted to be the same as everyone else, but soon realizes it’s OK to be different! Highly recommended!
September 8, 2021
Great illustrations and sweet story
This is a very sweet story about self-acceptance and loving what makes us all unique. After trying to blend in with the crowd, Spike learned to find pride in his rainbow hair.
The book ends with a quiz, which my 5-year-old really enjoyed.
My children loved this story and the illustrations, so I am giving the book 5 stars.
This is a very sweet story about self-acceptance and loving what makes us all unique. After trying to blend in with the crowd, Spike learned to find pride in his rainbow hair.
The book ends with a quiz, which my 5-year-old really enjoyed.
My children loved this story and the illustrations, so I am giving the book 5 stars.
October 6, 2021
Spike is the cutest penguin! The illustrations are colorful and creative, imagining all the different ways Spike might want his hair. This story could be used to open conversations about conformity, individuality, peer pressure, growth, social acceptance, personal authenticity, and breaking free of expectations.
November 16, 2021
Absolutely Adorable
Born with colorful hair, Spike's parents loved him and his uniqueness. Spike was not so excited about being different. This book is so adorable. The illustrations draw you into the story. They are colorful and fun. This book has a moral to teach all who feel different, your uniqueness is special. this book is a must for your child's library.
Born with colorful hair, Spike's parents loved him and his uniqueness. Spike was not so excited about being different. This book is so adorable. The illustrations draw you into the story. They are colorful and fun. This book has a moral to teach all who feel different, your uniqueness is special. this book is a must for your child's library.
February 19, 2022
Be uniquely you!
A beautiful message, beautiful illustrations, and an all-over great book! This story teaches young readers to embrace what makes them different, even celebrate them. We are all unique--and that's a good thing! Five stars and two thumbs up! Plus, did I mention the illustrations are gorgeous? A must for your library!
A beautiful message, beautiful illustrations, and an all-over great book! This story teaches young readers to embrace what makes them different, even celebrate them. We are all unique--and that's a good thing! Five stars and two thumbs up! Plus, did I mention the illustrations are gorgeous? A must for your library!
March 26, 2022
Very cute penguin, which Silly Bear loves. The longest book she has been able to pay attention to so far. Possible metaphor for LGBT identity, thought that is mixed and unclear? Definitely an ode to self love, self worth, and appreciating differences. One scene could be construed as a depiction of minor self harm.
July 14, 2022
Actual Star Score: 4.5
Age group: 3 to 5
The momma and daddy penguin watched as their egg hatched. Their friends came over to see the new baby and were surprised by the rainbow colored hair on its head. Since it stood up like a mohawk they decided to name him Spike.
But Spike didn't like being different from his friends. Read the book to see what he tries to do to be the same as them.
Age group: 3 to 5
The momma and daddy penguin watched as their egg hatched. Their friends came over to see the new baby and were surprised by the rainbow colored hair on its head. Since it stood up like a mohawk they decided to name him Spike.
But Spike didn't like being different from his friends. Read the book to see what he tries to do to be the same as them.
October 4, 2022
From the stunning cover to the flawless rhyme to the beautiful visuals, this book is amazing.
Spike, a cute little penguin, dislikes his rainbow hair and attempts to cover it up in a variety of ways so he won't stand out from the other penguins. For children, the idea of accepting oneself for who you are is crucial.
Spike, a cute little penguin, dislikes his rainbow hair and attempts to cover it up in a variety of ways so he won't stand out from the other penguins. For children, the idea of accepting oneself for who you are is crucial.
April 28, 2021
Spike is born with rainbow hair and wants to fit in. He gets highly creative - but in the end he learns an important lesson about self-love and confidence.
The rhyme flows well, and the illustrations are beautiful.
The rhyme flows well, and the illustrations are beautiful.
April 29, 2021
Spike is an adorable penguin who just wants to fit in. Sarah Cullen and Carmen Ellis’ rhyming text is fun to read and children will root Spike on as he comes to embrace his unique hair. Zuzana Svobodova’s illustrations are vibrant and bring the story to life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews