  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 08/01/2015 There’s a reason Archie the penguin has a reputation around the ’bergs for being a daredevil. He has climbed to the top of Mount Nosebleed, tobogganed down the icy slope of Craggy Pass, and tiptoed through a herd of sleeping leopard seals. And now he is determined to fly—be it by slingshot, rocket, or “Flap-O-Matic” wings—to the fish fry on Iceberg Nine. Unfortunately, his flying inventions aren’t having much success. While his fellow penguins can’t figure out why he won’t just swim over, the reader knows that Archie is “afraid of the water and the strange creatures that lurk in the briny deep.” After a flying mishap lands him in the ocean, Archie comes face-to-face with his fears with humorous and uplifting results. Rash’s illustrations have a classic comic-book vibe, using saturated colors, speech bubbles, and panels. Kids will laugh at Archie’s flying flops and cheer when he conquers his fear. Pair with Peter Brown’s Flight of the Dodo (2010) for another silly tale of flightless birds. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. School Library Journal - 02/01/2016 PreS-Gr 2—Archie is a daredevil. Every other penguin in the colony knows about his exciting inventions and his feats of strength and bravery. What many of those penguins don't realize is that while Archie may be a daredevil, he has one very large fear: he'll do anything to avoid the water and the strange creatures who lurk in the briny deep. When Archie is dunked into the ocean and then swallowed by a whale, he finds that swimming can actually be fun. And those "strange" creatures give him supportive advice instead of eating him up. Rash tells this tale through comic book panels and dialogue. This choice suits Archie's story perfectly. While the penguins in the colony look up to Archie, it isn't until he faces his fear that he really becomes part of the community. And all of the marine life support him—there's lots of cheering from everyone (including the hilarious mayor) for each invention. This book has saturated, vivid color in the panels. There is lots of action, energy, and sound effects to make this a fun and engrossing read-aloud. VERDICT A sure-to-be popular choice with a great deal of humor in it.—Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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