School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-When two puffin friends are separated in a big storm, Peter is rescued by a friendly blue whale that ferries him to visit different birds in search of Paul. Each miss prompts Peter to add to his pal's description, leading to a satisfying reunion. The short, simple sentences and phrase repetition in this build-up story encourage audience participation, making this book a perfect choice for sharing with the preschool storytime crowd; the vocabulary, large print, and placement of the text on solid backgrounds also allow for solo use for beginning readers. Peter's youthful description of his best friend-"funny and noisy"-will resonate with young children, many of whom have a similar friend. Readers of all ages will swoon over Horaek's lush, brightly colored mixed-media illustrations that lend life to the ocean, the different birds encountered, and Peter's many emotions during his quest. This tale of friendship and perseverance is a must-have for public and school libraries alike.-Rebecca Dash Donsky, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
The tale of a puffin separated from his friend provides a stage for Horacek's (Jonathan and Martha) intense colors and rich textures. The storm that separates Peter from Paul unfolds across four panels as the puffins are tossed by churning waves, the sky growing blacker and the water's bluish-green deepening. After the storm, a whale rescues Peter and volunteers to find Paul, asking what he's like. "Funny and noisy," is Peter's reply. The birds the whale finds-parrots on one island, penguins on another-fit the description, but they aren't Paul. In a striking aerial spread, the whale swims toward some familiar-looking islands with Peter barely visible on his back. It's Peter's home, and Paul waits there. "Why didn't you tell me?" the whale asks as the two birds greet each other joyfully. "Tell you what?" says Peter. "That he's a puffin, just like you!" the whale replies. There's a lighthearted lesson there about communication-what's obvious to one person isn't obvious to another-and excitement, too, in the great, reassuring presence of the whale as he guards Peter on his search. Ages 3-5. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.