Puffin

by Martin Jenkins, Jenni Desmond (Illustrator)

Take a first look at this appealing northern bird—and follow one diligent pair as they nurture their new chick. Everyone recognizes the puffin, with its black and white feathers and brightly colored bill. But how does the puffin live? What happens down in its burrow? And how do the male and female share the task of feeding and caring for their young? Discover the intriguing world of this charming bird in a collaboration that pairs Martin Jenkins’s text with Jenni Desmond’s illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Nonfiction, Birds, Childrens, Science, Nature

32 pages, Hardcover

Published November 15, 2022

About the author

Martin Jenkins, a conservation biologist, has written several nonfiction books for children, including Ape, Grandma Elephant’s in Charge, The Emperor’s Egg, and Chameleons Are Cool. He lives in Cambridge, England.

Reviews

[Pink Leaf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very pretty pictures! Just what I was hoping to see in Iceland!

[Mehsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, wat een prachtig boek was dit! Met vele illustraties, veel leuke informatie over wat er gebeurd als de papegaaiduikers elkaar weer vinden, over kleintjes, en meer. Enorm genoten. Wat lijkt het me tof om deze dieren in het wild te zien. Ik heb ze wel in eens in een dierentuin gezien, maar in het echt nog nooit. Machtige beestjes!

[Lisa D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved I!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've appreciated the individual work of Martin Jenkins and Jenni Desmond for quite some time so I was pleased to see these two creators combining forces for this informational text about puffins. With their unique coloring, they strike some onlookers as rather comical, but others (like the author of this book and me) find them extraordinarily beautiful. This picture book provides interesting information about these Atlantic puffins, including what happens in their burrows, what puffin chicks eat, and how long they remain with the adult puffins before venturing out on their own. Since puffins lay only one egg each year, it takes some careful navigation and luck for the chick to survive. Created with ink, watercolor, and acrylic paint, the illustrations show these distinctive seabirds flying above the crashing waves, checking out burrows, caring for their young, and searching for food as well as one lone bird testing its wings for the very first time. The text is engaging, descriptive, and respectful yet playful, showing the author's fascination with this unique species while the artwork is filled with color, motion, variety of image sizes as well as some close-ups of puffins. The book's cover featuring a puffin with its beak filled to overflowing with fish is the perfect image to attract the attention of youngsters. This is an excellent choice for inclusion in a science classroom library. Just about every page brought a smile to my lips and made me glad that puffins exist.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This engaging picture book discusses the life of the puffin. It begins with spring when the puffins begin to appear at the seashore as they begin their mating season. They reunite with their mate and inspect their burrow until it is ready to house their family. The title discusses how one puffin stays in the burrow as the other goes out to sea for food and they change places. The puffins take turns sitting on their one egg of the season. The food that is found for each other and the puffling are discussed as well. Some of the hardships the puffins face in their lives are also mentioned. The title ends as the puffling goes out of the nest on its own to find its way in the world. The book includes a spread of additional information such as basic facts on the three different kinds of puffins, an index, and a find more information here section. The watercolor and acrylic illustrations bring the puffins and its wildlife home alive for the reader. I would recommend this title for libraries that have picture book nonfiction titles especially those that have a high interest in seabirds. This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable and educational book 'Puffin' by Martin Jenkins is. The book looks like a normal picture book with its colourful, full-page illustrations and large size, however, it is much more.

This is a book that is filled to the brim with information on Puffins and what comes across strongly is the authors love for these sea birds.

Puffin is a book for older children who want to learn about these incredible seabirds, it shows how the Puffin's mate, build a nest, wait for their egg to hatch and then look after their young until one day the adults are gone and the youngster is left to fend for itself.

I adored this book. It was not only beautiful to look at but it taught me so much about these birds too.

At the back is an index, information on where children can find out more, and some facts about them too. There are also some drawings showing the difference between different puffins as well.

Overall, a fab book that would be perfect for a school library and makes learning fun.

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic nonfiction picture book for children, with a wonderful combination of author Martin Jenkins and illustrator Jenni Desmond. Children can learn all about puffins in an engaging narrative paired with playful illustrations. I appreciate when nonfiction science-based picture books can dispense information in a joyful way using narrative that stimulates the imagination. It keeps the children interested in a meaningful way. The end of the book contains a couple of pages with additional information about puffins and even some suggested websites to explore further. Love this!

***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Candlewick. Opinions are my own.

[Vera Godley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book for young children to learn about the little Puffin sea bird. This little bird settles on the shores of the North Atlantic as far south as Maine. But much of their life is at sea. I learned that they nest but burrowing and making nests. They lay one egg per year. Their beak changes color with the season. And so much more.

The illustrations are delightful. Straightforward but charming. Stark but soft. Vivid yet sofly warm.

A couple of back pages of information about Puffins are provided for additional learning. I think this will be a delight for many readings. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

i received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.

[Becs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so wholesome, which I loved, but I actually learnt a thing or two about puffins too! I had no idea about their clever, changing beaks! Maybe it's naive of me, but I hardly ever expect to learn something new from a children's picture book, but this one was great.

The illustrations are vibrant and beautifully put together, which perfectly accompanied this informative little tale about how puffins behave throughout the season. Some of the narrative was conversational or suggestive of a regional dialect - and in first person - which threw me a little bit, but I didn't mind it at all.

A nice addition which young readers can learn from whilst looking at the beautiful pictures.

ARC provided from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin Jenkins is a conservation biologist based in England and he is also a noted children’s science book author. Following his roots in biology, Jenkins has written previously about emperor penguins and tigers as well as squirrels, crocodiles, birds and more. This volume explores the life of Puffins (related to penguins) which Jenkins observes from his home. He follows the life of the birds from their return to their burrows, burrow clean up, mating, egg laying, fishing and egg hatching. Illustrations by Jenni Desmond are realistic and endearing. Done in ink, watercolor and acrylic they are artistic and realistic.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to know about puffins, all three kinds, where they go for mating, what they like to eat, and other information, this book by Martin Jenkins offers that info and more. There's also a bit about other ocean birds too. Ocean scenes by Jenni Desmond, like gorgeous double-page spreads, illustrate what Martin tells. For example, there are amusing pages about returning to their chosen island to breed, reunite (hopefully) with their mate, and to find the burrow from the previous year. It doesn't always go well! It's a great book with added information in the backmatter.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated book on puffins. Readers follow the life of one puffin who returns home from being away. After finding its mate from last year, the two birds set to getting their burrow ready for their little one on the way. The little one grows until one day two years later, it is ready to just fly away, and it does.

With a few puffin facts along the way, this makes a great book for young readers interested in this cute bird!

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spend a season with a pair of Atlantic puffins and watch their chick grow until it is ready to go off on its own.

The text in this balances a conversational, warm tone that draws you in with solid information. The illustrations are charming as well. I also appreciated that the main text is in a dyslexic-friendly font. This is a delightful nonfiction picture book.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good non-fiction book about the life of a Puffin and from nesting to laying egg to waiting for egg to hatch to being on its own. Story and facts woven in and a glossary of words to describe the birds.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Erin Cunningham · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE ART!! I love puffins anyway so this was an obvious 5 star fav.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and great illustrations!

[Andrea Lorenz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic easy nonfiction book - very informative, but also easily accessible. And it has references!!!!! This is joining The Emperor's Egg as a nonfiction storytime read.

[Tawnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puffins are adorable, who doesn't want a book about them>?

[Greg S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great painting-like illustrations with a story that reads like a documentary without being overwhelming.

[Sarah Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful watercolor illustrations - and great info & story about an Atlantic Puffin!

[skcocnaH · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[R. L. Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, perfect for kids and adorable art work!

[Noor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informational

[Juli Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love puffins, and I loved the paintings of puffins in this book. But this first-person narrative version of natural history didn't work for me.

[Michelle Smart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet little non-fiction picture book. I love the art and the child-friendly language.

[Madison LibraryBookFamily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely deep dive into the lives and life cycle of puffins. Beautiful pictures and fascinating facts make this a fun read for any science enthusiast.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit long, but informative.