Not-So-Brave Penguin

Posy is a very anxious little penguin–she’s scared of all sorts of things and is very worried when her adventurous friend, Percy, goes missing on an iceberg. Will friendship win out over her fears and will she be able to save her friend?

A very cute story about overcoming your fears and being a good friend. Posey is a character that I can definitely see anxious kids feeling empathy towards in the beginning, and hopefully, also being able to learn from her actions at the end. She is also able to overcome not just her self-doubts, but also ignore the adult penguins’ unhelpful advice to “not worry”. Percy is also a great friend, acknowledging Posey’s bravery.

A final page includes brief lessons and activities that parents or teachers can do with kids to help them get the most out of the message of bravery. But even without any moralistic analysis, the story is a fun read and is complimented by very sweet artwork.

Oh, so sweet story of a little penguin who finds she's not too frightened to help a friend in need! Littles are going to enjoy this tale. Loved the illustrations of the penguins sling down the snowy, icy hills and swimming. Nice addition to a collection of penguin tales or Antarctica for toddler and preschoolers. I liked the discussion and comprehension page for parents, teachers and caregivers at the end.

My husband is obsessed with penguins. And so I had to check out this adorable penguin picture book.
We read it together and I gotta say that there are a lot of great things about Not-So-Brave-Penguin.
1) There are lots of emphasized, fun to say words that little kids will adore learning and saying.
2) The story puts a great spin on being afraid and how so long as you are brave when it counts (to save someone) then it's all okay.
3) It indicates that sometimes being brave can mean you get hurt. I especially liked this emphasis on the need to be safe while being brave.
4) Adorable artwork! The penguins are cute, and I loved the bump on the head the one penguin has.

Overall this is a solid pick for little ones and a book that is sure to be fun, as well as informative.

<i>Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.</i>

<i>The Not-So-Brave Penguin</i>, to put it simply, is quite adorable. Following a young penguin called Posy and her friend, Percy, the story sets the scene for a discussion about bravery and overcoming one's fears. While Percy is adventurous and loves taking all sorts of risks in the name of fun, Posy is timid and very anxious about all the activities her friend spends his time doing.

Heights are hard for Posy, she doesn't like sliding down the ice very fast like Percy does, and she is very, <i>very</i> scared of the dark. But one day, when a new iceberg floats close to their home and Percy goes out for an adventure, Posy is to scared to follow him on his fun adventure. But when Percy does not return with the other penguins, Posy is faced with a hard choice. Should she let her fears keep her at home, or should she go out and find her friend?

The artwork in this story was wonderful, definitely the sort that would keep a kid engaged and I personally enjoyed it very much. I think the story had a good moral and definitely opens up for some teachable moments. I also loved how the end of the book offered up some ideas for discussion with young children, something I always find exciting in children's books. It's definitely one I would recommend.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I love this story and I’m think my nephew would too. A wonderful bedtime story for young children, but there are discussions and activities to stretch and challenge older children.
The illustrations match the delightfully sweet story and we keep all happy.

This is a beautifully colored book. I love the idea over the penguin overcoming her fear to help her friend. Not big on sending kids to rescue other kids without an adult though. lol

This is a great read for all ages.. It reminded me of did you swim Today Oliver otter. It is all. About facing your fears

The Not-So-Brave Penguin by Steve Smallman is an interesting reading for the thematic treated and a great gift, if you have a kid plenty, for many reasons, irrationals or rationals but that they can't be rationalized, every personal story is complicated, of a lot of fears.
Fears are terrible because they can't permit a progression of the personality, let's use this expression, but a regression, and kids can't go on in life with the tranquillity that they deserves.

You mustn't never think that children's books can't be helpful in these cases because sometimes they are the best keys for enter in the soul of your kid with more simplicity but at the same time profundity.

The author chooses for treating this important thematic a sunny penguin called Posy; in english this name means as explained me a British friend called Posy, a little bouquet of flowers.
So, a tender name.

Posy the penguin is plenty of fears and for this reason she doesn't live well her life. She doesn't want to jump, she doesn't like snow and snowstorms, strange, don't you think so? being a penguin. But Posy's character is this one because of her fears she can't enjoy her being a penguin.

Plus, this little penguin has another big fear: the one for dark and obscurity. She imagines terrible monsters, horrible situations.

Oh no, not darkness in her life.

Then one day Percy, a friend of her, notices a beautiful, big iceberg. Oh, what a joy playing with that in every possible way! Posy as always doesn't join him, but she starts to be worried when she sees that he Percy doesn't return home.

All the rest of this penguin's colony tells her that, come on, it is normal and considering also the apprehensive character of the little penguin they all thinks that maybe she is exaggerating a lot; but this time Posy is more than brave: she jumps in the cold water, reaches the iceberg, for finding Percy with some problem...So she was right!

Dark is coming and Percy and Posy stays in the iceberg, although there, Posy learns an important lesson: that after all darkness brings special gifts with it. A good friendship as well.

I strongly recommend this book to all that parents with children that must still metabolize the idea of the obscurity and general fears. Reading this book together and speaking about fears will help your children and they will heal.

I thank NetGalley and Quarto for this eBook.

ARC Copy...gentle but illustrations show young readers visually the emotions of being brave + scared plus like Posy...it's ok to be scared just take a leap of courage every so often when needed.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Wow what a cute story!! The graphics were great! Everyone loves penguins so it's a win win!! I think most small children would love this book. First having it read to them, and then reading it to mom and dad! I rate this a 4.5. I can see it being read over and over.

This is simply the most beautiful picture book I've ever seen! I love oil painting and penguins, and I just want to hug every page of this book. The story is sweet and easy for kids to follow. Not-so-brave penguin tells the story of Posy, a cute little female penguin who is scared of everything but overcomes all her fears to rescue her male penguin friend. She's so brave!

Lovely illustrations and a good story. Read with my 5 year old and we both enjoyed it! Thanks for Quarto publishing for this copy.

What a lovely story! Perfect age for my 3 year old and above. This is a story about being scared and also being brave. Older children than my son will be able to get more out of the discussion points at the end.
I would definitely purchase for myself and others.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book for honest reviews.

This is a very well written book that will help children over come their fear of different things. It has beautiful illustrations to go along with the story that children will love. At the end of the book there is a discussion and comprehension section for you to use to with the child to help them understand and over come their fears. Thank you Quarto Publishing Group via NetGalley for the free copy of this book. This is my honest opinion of this book.

Received this book via Netgalley. A beautifully illustrated book, with a lovely story about a very brave penguin. I loved the way the book gives hints about how to discuss the story afterwards, perfect for anytime of day and bedtime stories. My daughter thought it was good and gives it a huge thumbs up!

I love it when childrens books not only have cute images but a fun story with an important message. The questions at the end were clever and Id definitely do them with my little boy if I had a physical copy of the book. I have a feeling he would really enjoy it.

A timid penguin is envious of her daredevil friend, until one day he doesn't return from his day's adventuring on a slowly passing iceberg. Can she build up enough pluck to help? This very young read looks very appealing, with a strong cute factor, and with fifty words a page max still gets a simple tale across well. No, the quick changes from day to night didn't completely convince this adult, but the target audience will find nothing to fault here. Four and a half stars.

This is a wonderful story about being brave and facing things that scare you the most. This is perfect for young children that may be struggling with putting themselves out there. My first grader is still very shy when it comes to asking kids to play with her during recess; after reading this book, she is a little braver and not so fearful when it comes to asking new friends to play. This is a perfect book for young children, I highly recommend it.

One word sums up this wonderful book by Smallman: Ahh!

What is there not to love about a fantastic story about Posy and Percy penguin! Percy is the rough and tumble older sibling that is not afraid to try new things, get messy, and have fun; while Posy is younger and quite afraid of everything. Both of their worlds are filled with "what-ifs" but they answer that question differently. When a huge new iceberg floats near their home, Percy answers the question with adventure, but when he doesn't return home that night, Posy answers the questions with care and concern. Her friend may be hurt...she had to act, and act she did. In the end, Posy showed that bravery can come from those even when they are the most scared.

A lovely story that can be read again and again. It also shows that everyone is different, and that sometimes, the ones we need the most are not always the ones we expect. This book belongs in every home, preschool, and kindergarten.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

This was designed from the outset to be a print book (there's a page toward the beginning which has a space for the owner's name to be written in!) so it lacks the same force when viewed as an ebook which is the only format I had access to. I wouldn't recommend trying to read this to a kid on a smart phone, but on a tablet computer it's a decent size, unless the pad is one of those really small pads.

Instead of being presented as a double-page view, it featured only single pages which made it hard to appreciate the layout as it was intended to be seen. I don't know why ebook versions do this - some which ought to be seen as single page images are instead presented as double, and vice-versa. It makes for an irritating read in some regards, and not something suitable for a small screen, but once I got past that, I appreciated this book for young children which talks of fear and bravery and friendship.

Percy Penguin is a tear-away, whereas Posy Penguin is timid and reserved. This might be seen as a bit genderist, but it does comport with how many boys and girls tend to be, although it by no means is true in every case. There's a moral to this tale however, because Percy's passion for daredevil activities is what gets him into trouble when he goes off to explore a passing iceberg. Posy seems to be the only one who thinks there might be something wrong, and like a guardian angel, she steps up where others fear to waddle, heading over to the iceberg to see why Percy didn't come home.

She learns that she can do anything Percy can - and do it better since she doesn't get herself into trouble, and she learns some self-sufficiency and garners the strength to overcome her fear of the dark to boot! It would have been nice to have had the point raised about running-off without telling your parent/guardian where you're going (parents here seem to be alarmingly laissez-faire!), but that aside, I enjoyed this book carrying a lesson in a fun and colorful story, and I commend it as a worthy read.

Storytime: Not-So-Brave Penguin is a simple and charming tale for young children (although as an adult I benefited as well!) about how to overcome fears. Percy penguin is daring and adventurous and loves swimming and sliding and climbing while Posy penguin is prevented from sharing the same adventures out of fear. When Percy goes missing Posy overcomes her fears out of concern for Percy. Posy tells her fellow penguin friends that she's worried because Percy hasn't returned from playing but they are not concerned thinking "Percy will be fine." But Posy isn't convinced and follows her instincts to find Percy. Percy then tells Posy she is very brave. I liked that Posy admits to still being scared even while finding Percy although her fear becomes less when she looks at the beautiful sky. The book has wonderful illustrations and ends with practical lessons (including making your own penguins) discussing with children why Posy is scared and how those fears can be overcome and then letting the children discuss their own fears and how they might overcome those. A lovely book and definitely recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for review copy.

I read this to my son tonight. He seemed to enjoy it. My son is 6 and is learning his sight words and this had a whole bunch.

*thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group - QEB for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

5 stars.

This book is both adorable in story and illustrations, aswell as having an important message to it. It addresses feelings of being scared and showing what being brave really is. It's an important book for little readers as its very well written, easy to understand and definitely relatable to all ages and yes I mean us Adults aswell. It lets a child know that even if they are scared to do something, that when they do it, even without realising they are doing it, that that is what bravery is all about. The story also touches on helping out a friend and following your own gut instincts. A very well done book and with beautiful illustrations, in both the softness of the details and colours. This book is one to pick up and not pass up on. Go grab a copy.

This is a cute book about how to be brave when it matters. Posy is not daring. While Puffy goes and does things that are while, Posy is more laid back.

<img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-4815" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Screen-Shot-2018-12-06-at-11.52.54-PM-933x1024.png" alt="Not so brave penguin"" />

But, in spite of all that, when she has to find courage, she does.

This is a cute story of finding your courage when it really matters.

And throwing in the aurora australis is kind of cool too.

The <strong>only</strong> problem I have with this book is that there is day and night. There is nothing wrong with day and night, but depending on where in Antarctica this story is supposed to be taking place, there would be no quick day and night. There would be six months of day and six months of light.

But, as this website points out, depending on what part of Antarctica you are, determines how much day and night you have during the year.

<a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/environment/weather/sunlight-hours
" target="_blank">Antarctica sunlight hours</a>



Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest reveiw.

Posy is a scared penguin, afraid of everything, until her friend is in trouble and needs help. She finds the courage to do something scary to her to help another.

Great little book with a great story.

A beautiful story both artistically and story wise, it's about a little penguin who is scared and what bravery really is, a great story for children and I would have loved this myself when I was little I was and am posy. Definitely recommend to parents and schools such a good story with important lessons

This is such an adorable children’s book! It tells the story of Posy and Percy the penguins. Posy is cautious and worries about everything. Percy, is her polar opposite. He is adventurous and has no fear.

This short tale teaches children how to be a good friend and also how to face your fears. Such a sweet story!

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group - QEB,
QEB Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Percy penguin and Posy penguin are very good friends but they couldn't be more different in their outlook on life. You see Percy is a self-proclaimed daredevil. He loves to whiz down snowy slopes on his tummy and jump off huge icebergs into the water to make a gigantic SPLASH!!! Anything goes when it comes to taking a risk and he is able to have a blast doing it.

Posy, on the other hand, is not so brave. She has anxiety and worry about many things like: shuffling down unfamiliar slopes (she slides on her bottom), being afraid that she may belly flop if she jumps off an iceberg, fear of snowstorms and loud noises, and her biggest fear? THE DARK!!!!

One day Percy goes missing and Posy is very upset. Who will go and find him? Is Posy brave enough to take on his rescue mission of retrieving her friend all by herself?

This delightful story is about overcoming fear and a special bond between two adorable penguins. The illustrations are extremely well done and very integral to the success of the story. At the back of the book the author has included short lessons and activities for parents, teachers and caregivers to open up dialogue regarding bravery and letting go of fears and apprehensions. I love the positive messages the book portrays.

The universal message for young readers of "conquering your fears" for the sake of others certainly resonates in this book. Percy, a penguin, is frightened of the world but when his friend, Percy, is missing, his strength of character emerges. He is able to overcome his terror and undertake, what to him, is a scary mission to find his friend..
He succeeds which is a happy message for all young readers, The illustrations are beautifully rendered and the color schemes so vibrant. The book will be a lovely addition to your collection.

Storytime: The Not-So-Perfect Penguin by Steve Smallman is a children 's book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. What a delightful and adorable little book! Cute illustrations and a nice little story about a penguin that is not normally brave. Very clever!

This is a fun story that I can easily see becoming a firm favourite!
The images in the book are lovely and my daughter loved them.
The plot is great and I loved the ending too.
Four stars from me for this one - highly recommended!

This is a delightful picture book for young children. Many kids will relate to fear of the dark, as well as other things they see their friends doing. The story feels familiar in some ways, but I think it will have appeal to kids of toddler or preschool age.

This children’s book is absolutely adorable and is a good story.

Posy the penguin is afraid of many things, such as jumping unto water, whizzing off slopes, loud noises and the dark. But when Posy’s friend, Percy, is lost and needs help, Posy comes to his rescue.

This book has everything that you look for in a quality children’s book. The illustrations are cut and colorful. They make you smile and cause young children to giggle. The story has a great message and is written well.

I would buy this book for all my friends who have young children. I cannot praise it enough.


I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affects my opinions or ratings of this book.

I LOVE penguins, so I was thrilled to get to read this children's book. I am also happy to say that it is a terrific book.
The story is about two penguins: Percy is brave and adventurous, and Posy is not-so-brave, frightened by a number of things. When Percy goes to explore an iceberg near their island and doesn't return, Posy faces a dilemma: will she give in to her fear, or will she go find her friend?
The artwork for this book is adorable, and I also like the fact that certain words in the text are emphasized for effect. The plot provides several opportunities for discussion and has a good moral to it.
This book would be a wonderful addition to any young child's library.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

Posy and Percy are penguins that enjoy doing many of the same things, sort of. Posy would love to be more adventurous but she is just too afraid. She is afraid of snowstorms, icebergs, the dark, the list goes on and on. One day when Percy doesn’t come back from exploring an iceberg Posy has to be brave and go look for her friend.
Wonderfully illustrated! 5 star picture book.! Very cute!
Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for this advanced copy, my opinions are my own.
www.colecampfireblog.com
LanaLCole@yahoo.com

Percy and Posy are perfect pals. One is brave, one is nervous. One is into adventure and one is a home body, but these opposites often make for the best of friends! When’s Percy’s adventures lead him into some trouble, Posy has to do a very brave thing.
The story was spectacular and the discussion questions in the post pages were wonderful. This will be great for young children learning about character qualities, opposites or winter animals.

Posy the penguin isn't as brave as her friend Percy--he's not afraid on anything and has tons of fun. Posy, though, is scared of lots of things. When Percy goes to explore an iceberg and doesn't come back, Posy must face her fears to help her friend.

The illustrations are terrific--really beautifully done. The penguins are so adorable! The story was simple and sweet and will appeal to children. I read an ARC via NetGalley, which did have some editing problems which hopefully were resolved before the final printing.

Not-So-Brave Penguin is a delightful book by Steve Smallman. Posy learns that she can do whatever she has to do when the stakes are high. I read this story with my four-year old granddaughter. We enjoyed the font changes to emphasis and emulate certain words as well as the expressive colorful illustrations.

My granddaughter loved Percy, who was fearless and perhaps a bit reckless. She can be both too. As for me, Posy was my favorite. Perhaps that is because she is more like me. Her bravery despite her fears make her a true little penguin hero. It is impossible not to love a timid soul who rises to the occasion when the concern for a loved one is so great.

Solid picture book purchase for caregivers and libraries serving children from preschool to grade 2. Artwork done by the author is cheerful and conveys the movement and emotions of penguin main characters Posy and Percy. The message of being brave in spite of fears is clear enough for small children to understand that there is nothing wrong with being afraid, but to be strong enough to act anyway. Author Steve Smallman includes great extension activities in the back matter, however I would skip his example of holding a spider for two minutes although having a fear of them.

'Not-So-Brave Penguin' by Steve Smallman is a storybook about a little penguin who is afraid of a lot of things.

Percy and Posy are friends, but while Percy is brave, Posy is cautious. He slides down icy slopes while she scoots on her bottom. She doesn't like loud noises or the dark. One day, a huge iceberg shows up nearby, and Percy wants to investigate. Posy is scared and doesn't go, but when it starts to get dark and Percy isn't back, will Posy find the courage to help her friend?

It's a good story about being scared and being brave, and the lessons are pretty clear. The illustrations are pretty cute and I think young readers will like this story of penguins that may remind them of themselves.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group-QEB, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

A really charming story, perfect for bedtime reading. Perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, the story shows you can overcome your fears and be a great friend. Leo (aged 10) is a huge penguin fan and even at his age enjoyed this little story! Gorgeous illustrations compliment the story well and there are ideas for further discussion for parents/teachers at the end of the book.

Not-So-Brave Penguin is a precious book about how one can be brave - even while still being scared.

As a teacher, this book can be used for various teaching purposes. I found myself relating to both Posy and Percy throughout the story. Both to Posy's careful and reserved approach to life, and Percy's impulsive and, somewhat, careless ways.

With such detailed and exciting illustrations, this will quickly become a child (and adult) favorite!

Cute, fun and a good way to start a conversation.
The illustrations are fun and sweet.
This is the sort of book I love to see in print format.

I did receive a digital copy via Netgalley to review. I feel an adult could read this several times without being bored.

Percy is bold and daring and likes to do things like jump into the water and slide down slopes on his tummy. Posy is much more cautious and afraid of lots of things. But when Percy doesn’t return from exploring the new iceberg in the area after a long time, Posy faces her fears and goes to look for Percy.

A cute story about a little penguin who cares enough for her friend to brave her own fears when they are in trouble. The illustrations are sweet and Posy's fears are very relatable for littles. There are conversation starters to talk with kids about fears and bravery in the back of the book as well as some activity ideas. A cute, short story that kids should find a fun read as well as providing an important discussion opportunity for them. Definitely recommended.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute book! Loved the artwork and the storyline. Read it to my 4 year old who wants to purchase the book to read over and over. She liked the names of the penguins and that she could relate to Posy, also that it had a happy ending. Overall a very nice story and good job to the author and artists.

Thanks to Quarto Publishing Group - QEB and Netgalley for providing me the opportunity to readthis and give an honest review.

I really enjoyed The Not-So-Brave Penguin, by Steve Smallman. We follow Posy, an adorable penguin who isn't as adventurous as her friend, Percy. Percy, When Percy's daredevil ways lead him into trouble, it is Posy that helps him out!

This will be an excellent addition to any child's library as it has the potential to be read again and again. My daughter is 19 months old and will love it because she loves animals and the illustrations are perfect. What I love is that when she gets older, we can talk about the lessons of this book and relate that to her life.

This doesn't have anything to do with the story, but I really liked the discussion page at the end of suggested topics to review with a child and then fun activities to replicate the penguin's home environment. This provides a great activity for a rainy day and the opportunity to make learning fun!

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was cute and had a really good story. This book has some great illustrations and great lessons for kids. This would be great for an elementary classroom.

Storytime is always a great time when you have entertaining stories like this one. Naming the series of books Storytime makes it even better. This one shows children that even though you are afraid, you can still be brave. Posy the penguin must be brave and help find her friend. How she does this and saves the day will have you re-reading this book many times.

Lovely book about being brave even when scared. The illustrations are gorgeous, and the characters are easy to relate to for children.

The Not-So-Brave Penguin, is another cute addition to the Storytime series. It follows two penguins, Percy who is a bit of a daredevil and Posy who is quite frightened of pretty much everything. Heights are hard for Posy, she doesn't like sliding down the ice very fast like Percy does, she is afraid to jump into the water in case she belly flops, she doesn't like snowstorms and she is very, very scared of the dark. One day, when a new iceberg floats close to their home Percy goes out for an adventure. Posy is to frightened to follow him on his fun adventure, but when he doesn't return she is worried. Can she overcome her fear to help her friend?

The artwork in this story is wonderful, definitely the sort that would keep a child engaged. Sweet watercolour illustrations that show emotion of the penguins very well. As with all the stories in this series, there are many ways a parent, caregiver or teacher can go with this story. Learning about penguins, where they live, how they move etc. would be one direction, but the one I really like is the idea of being brave. I remember hearing about soldiers saying that it is normal to be afraid of war and battle, but the brave person will face and overcome those fears to do what they need to do. That is a bit dramatic, but that is the message in this story. Once again the activities at the end of the book help to extend what the reader or listener hear in the story. This is one that my granddaughter especially loved, penguins of course. I definitely recommend this story to families, teachers and librarians. A great addition to any character trait collection. The publisher, QEB Publishing, generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute picture book that focuses on overcoming fear. I love the questions at the end--very helpful for librarians and teachers.

A story with two penguins that, although they have different characters, the care for each other is bonding them. Occasioned by this love the little female penguin (Posy) overcomes herself, trusts her instinct and manages to save her adventurous (yet somewhat reckless) best friend .
As a book it has the ideal length to be read to younger children, since their span of concentration is limited,
as well as a first reader for older children, who are now beginning to read on their own.
The illustrations are excellent, and the color changings places perfectly the reader in the timeframe of the story (morning-afternoon-evening).
At the end of the book there are "instructions" on how to use this book as an educational aid. Oveall , a well-written book that I would recommend reading to all children, but mostly to children who are facing their life so far with a "more fearful point of view".

A fantastic children’s book introducing the wonderful characters of Posy and Percy and their journey to discover their own types of bravery! Wonderfully illustrated and a great narrative which makes you realise that Posy has her very own type of inner strength. Can’t wait to read more offerings by this author and buy this for all the children in my life!

4 Stars!

Posy the Penguin is scared of everything. Her best friend Percy is not - he likes to do all kinds of things and is very brave. Something happens one day to Percy- and its up to Posy to save the day. Can she overcome her fears and help her best friend?

This was such a cute read about being brave. I think the illustrations were perfect and the moral of this story is a great one. There are discussion questions included as well to help talk about the story. Totally recommend for young readers and teachers!

.***Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital arc for preview in return for an honest review. ***

Posy and Percy are best friends, but it does not mean they are the same. In fact, Percy is brave, while Posy is afraid of snowstorms, heights, loud noises and, above all, the dark. When Percy does not come back home after playing on an iceberg slippery slide, Posy knows something went wrong. She jumps into the sea, follows Percy’s footprints on the iceberg and enters a very scary cave just to find her friend. Percy, who is grateful for her help, tells her that she is the bravest penguin of all not only for rescuing him but also for acting in spite of her fear.
A heart-warming story with cute pictures and a great moral, this book will definitely appeal to young readers. There is a support page with presentation suggestions and follow-up activities. Children will really enjoy painting the iceberg and snowflakes, as well as making paper penguins to role-play the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and QEB Publishing for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was just the cutest little book! I'm not ashamed to admit I still love reading good picture books from time to time, and this one was adorable! The illustrations were so whimsical and lively, and the story was fun, encouraging, and charming. The themes of fear and bravery were woven so well into the story. Percy and Posy Penguin are such precious little characters, and I think any child (or even adult!) can relate to them on some level. I will definitely be purchasing a hardcopy version of this book to read to my nieces and nephew!

Loved the message of this story as well as the illustrations. I thought it was wonderful to have the juxtaposition of a brace and scared penguin and loved the story. The actives at the end of the book were wonderful too and really enhanced the story.

Another beautifully illustrated book that my grandchildren adored. It tells the story of a little penguin who is scared of doing all the exciting things her friends do. That is until her best friend is in trouble and she must overcome her fears in order to help them.

Ahhhhh. This simple story is cute and heartwarming. Two penguins, one who is game for anything, and one who is afraid of many things. But when necessary, one little penguin will find the courage she never knew she had. A wonderful and wonderfully illustrated story.

<em>The Not-So-Brave Penguin</em> by Steve Smallman is an adorable little book. Who doesn't love penguins? And who can resist a not-so-brave penguin that steps up and does something brave?

Percy and Posy are young penguins. Percy is outgoing and adventurous while Posy is cautious and timid. Percy loves to slide down icy slopes on his bottom as fast as he can, but the idea is terrifying to Posy who also doesn't like loud noises or the dark.

One day a new iceberg floats up near to the penguin home and Percy can't wait to investigate - hoping there might be some great new slopes to slide down. Posy, of course, won't go.

As night comes on and Percy isn't back, Posy gets nervous and the adults don't seem too concerned. At first light, Posy rushes over to the new iceberg and slides down a long slope to find Percy hurt at the bottom where he is grateful the Posy came to find him.

This book has just about (but not quite) everything you want in a children's book. Cute pictures that kids will love to look at. A cuddly animal. A moral that would hit you over the head if you were a little older. And a story that promotes self-determination and individuality.

But it is missing something for me.

I shared this with my wife and my now older children to see if they had similar reactions. They each thought it a nice book but thought that something was missing - though they couldn't pinpoint what, exactly, without some prompting.

What we don't get is <em>why</em> Posey rises above herself and goes after Percy. While we see them together in many pages of the book, we see them as contrasts. While we might assume that they are close friends, we don't get that, either in the story or in the pictures. They have different likes, they do different things, and nowhere are we told they are close friends. So why is looking for Percy so important to Posey that she conquers her fears for him?

Of course assumptions can be made and actually having a conversation about a book with a child is an important part of reading to a youngster, but I still wish there was something other than inference about their relationship to lead us to Posey's actions (especially given the adults' lack of concern).

Looking for a good book? <em>Not-So-Brave Penguin</em> by Steve Smallman is a cute and charming children's picture book that is likely to be a favorite for a child's early years.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

We love penquin stories and this one was another one we really enjoyed. It is an adorable story about a not-so-brave penguin. We enjoyed getting to know him and learning about his life. We fell in love with him. It is a cute story with sweet illustrations. Sweet character and story we fully enjoyed. Wonderful story we recommend.

Super cute title. I really enjoyed the artwork and the message. Would recommend for young readers. i purchased this book for my 2 young sons and they read it quite often!

Percy the penguin isn’t scared of anything. He’ll slide down slopes on his belly, and he’ll jump from great heights and splash into the water. Posy, on the other hand, is scared of many things: snowstorms, heights, loud noises, the dark.

When a huge iceberg floats near their island, Percy goes to explore, but Posy stays back. When Percy doesn’t return, Posy springs into action. Even though Posy is scared, she goes to save her friend.

The Not-So-Brave Penguin has a message that kids can relate to. Being brave doesn’t mean not being scared. Being brave means acting even when you are scared.

A cute story with nice illustrations about a penguin who thought it wasn't brave. Until one day when it does something very brave.

Storytime: The Not-So-Brave Penguin

by Steve Smallman

Join Percy penguin and Posy penguin doing what Antarctic penguins do—and bring along some kids for a fun time together. Storytime: The Not-So-Brave Penguin is an adorable picture book written and illustrated by Steve Smallman. It tells the tale of the adventurous daredevil Percy and his timid friend Posy. When Percy’s penchant for rollicking fun takes him over the edge, Posy finds the courage to overcome her biggest fear, the dark, to rescue him.

Children can identify readily with both characters and will enjoy talking about the plot, characters, emotions, and setting. The illustrations are outstanding and such that a non-reader could retell the story. The author follows up with suggestions for discussion and activities to enhance comprehension with charts and art activities.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Quarto Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Children’s Fiction

Notes: Age Range: 4-8 years
Grade Level: Preschool-2

Publication: November 15, 2018—Quarto Publishing

Memorable Lines:

Percy penguin wasn’t scared of anything.
He loved WHIZZING down snowy slopes on his tummy.

Posy penguin was not so brave.
She shuffled down slopes on her bottom instead.

4★
“Percy thought it looked amazing!
Posy thought it looked scary.”

An iceberg would be both to me! This is a little picture book for little kids about little penguins in a big, unique, beautiful, - and scary – part of the world. Antarctica.

Percy loves excitement and sees fun everywhere, while Posy is a very timid little thing who is easily frightened. He slips and slides and swims. She stands and watches nervously.

My Goodreads review includes several illustrations.

Illustration of Percy splashing happily while Posy is scared to risk a bellyflop

Posy is especially scared of the dark, and I must say her imagination is very lively!

Illustration of Posy’s imagined horrors of the dark

When an iceberg floats near them, Percy sees opportunity where Posy sees threat. He’s off and running and sliding and splashing his way to the iceberg where he plays happily by himself all day long.

Illustration of Percy, excited to see the iceberg

Happily, that is, until he accidentally slides down into a cave and knocks himself on the head. When he hasn’t turned up at the end of the day, everyone says he’ll be fine. But Posy isn’t convinced that all is well with her friend.

Illustration of Posy trying in vain to raise the alarm with the other penguins.

This is Percy! This is her friend we’re talking about. She can’t just leave him to fate over on that iceberg. Who knows what might happen to him? So she bravely runs, dives, splashes and swims her way over to the iceberg and begins hunting. Suddenly, she’s sliding into one of her nightmares!

Illustration of frightened Posy sliding into the ‘mouth’ of the cave

She breaks her fall by bumping into Percy! He’s got a good old bump on his head but seems okay otherwise. He is amazed at how she got there in spite of being scared. She tells him she is STILL scared – of the dark! He explains that it’s actually very beautiful.

Percy and Posy enjoying the Aurora Australis in the night sky.

There are many more illustrations, of course, and it’s obvious Percy isn’t so much a daredevil as someone who really doesn’t see any danger. Perhaps the bump on the head will slow him down. Posy, on the other hand, learned that she could overcome her fears when she had a good enough reason.

When they get home, Percy tells her “You helped me even though you were scared. That makes you the BRAVEST PENGUIN OF ALL!”

There are notes at the end to encourage discussion between older readers and the children with whom they are reading the story. There are also activities for parents or teachers to initiate as well. This story obviously takes place during a period where there is day and night, presumably in the change between seasons of 24-hour days and 24-hour nights. Posy would like the long days but not the nights I presume!

I often share many pictures from children’s books since I don’t consider them “spoilers”, in that I don’t think adults buy picture books sight unseen. We see them first in a bookshop, a library, a school, or at a friend’s house. It’s not like buying a mystery novel. We want to know exactly what message the children will be getting from a story. We don’t want to discover, for example, that a book has some kind of tie-in with a sponsor or brand we might not approve of.

I can’t see any subliminal advertising in this one, so here’s my review for what it’s worth. Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto QEB and especially Steve Smallman, who writes and illustrates such cute books.
#StorytimeNotSoBravePenguin #NetGalley

Percy and Posy are penguins. Percy isn't scared of anything, while Posy fears everything. One day, Percy heads off to explore a huge iceberg and doesn't come back. Posy is afraid that something must have happened to him while their friends tell her not to worry. Will Percy come back on his own, or will Posy find courage to go searching for him?
This story provides a great starting point to discuss fears and what it means to be brave and face those fears. The pictures will engage children quickly and I'm sure many will empathise with Posy and her many fears.
I wouldn't hesitate to use this book in the classroom with Key Stage 1 pupils.

I received a copy of this book for review from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The Not-So-Brave Penguin" explains the nature of bravery and teaches children that being brave isn't the absence of fear, but the willingness to face that fear. Many books and movies portray bravery as the willingness to face adverse situations without being scared or worried. By setting a true and realistic model for bravery, "The Not-So-Brave Penguin" will help children learn how to cope with and face their fears.

Posy the penguin is scared of many things - snowstorms, loud noises, the dark - but when her adventurous friend Percy is missing, Posy plucks up the courage to overcome her fears and goes on an excursion to find him. After an intrepid journey, Posy finds an injured Percy in a dark cave. She rescues him and brings him home, realising in the end just how brave she can really be. This heartwarming story about friendship, being brave and overcoming fears when it really matters is sure to become a bedtime favourite.

This is a sweet little book with Posy the penguin. The story is wonderful about how things scared Posy like snowstorms, heights and the dark, but when his friend is missing he put those fears aside. The illustrations are lovely. The details and expressions on the penguins just make this book. I don't know a child that would not like this story. There is a discussion and comprehension section at the end of the book to help parents and teachers use this book with their children.

A nice simple, heart-warming, story I'd say would be perfect for kids aged 3-5 about being brave when it matters the most. Beautiful pictures and non-complicated language make it perfect for kids just starting out on their reading journey.

Despite it being perfect for younger kids, my seven-year-old enjoyed the 10-minute read, mostly because he's obsessed with penguins, but also because "it was charming". (< his actual words.)

This is a cute story about a penguin named Posy who is scared of all sorts of things. She's a worrier. But when her friend Percy goes missing on a nearby iceberg, she has to face her fears and try to help him herself.

I like the story and the illustrations are really cute, but the grammar and punctuation in the writing leave something to be desired. It marred what could've been an excellent picture book.

I'm also not fond of the stuff at the end that tells parents and teachers how to talk to the kids and do art projects related to the book. I found it kind of condescending (and that was the part aimed at adults, not kids)! The questions parents and teachers are supposed to ask are pretty obvious, as the answers are pretty much spelled out in the story. Some more interesting questions would be the ones that weren't addressed, such as how nobody believed that Percy was in trouble because Posy was the one worrying about it.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and illustrations, but I thought the material at the end was unnecessary and the writing was technically a bit weak. Still, it would be a nice picture book for kids, especially if they happen to be fond of penguins.

This was a really good book to read to my niece and nephews. They loved the illustrations and adored Posy and Percy. I also enjoyed the story as I love penguins.

I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Posy is a slight ”scaredy cat” but when her best friend doesn't come back from his adventure she has to find him. This cute book shows kids that no matter how scary something is sometimes you have to think of others no matter what. With colorful illustrations that help your child image the fun and brave moments, this book should be a true favorite. I can't wait to get a physical copy for my child's collection.

A cute children’s book about bravery and what it is and what it isn’t. Bravery doesn’t always mean doing stunts and not being scared. It’s about putting yourself on the line for someone else, even though you don’t know how it’s going to turn out. A quick and fun cute read.

Received via Netgalley and reviewed of my own accord.