The book narrates a person’s search for identity. People may look the same, but they have different feelings and emotions. And we can’t judge people on the basis of how they look. Indeed, the story gives a strong message to all the children about how they should treat others. The graphics are nice, but they could have been much better. Definitely, the book deserves 4 stars.

Oh my gosh! We loved this book! I read it with my 5 year old who was not quite old enough to grasp the different concepts in the book (LGBTQ, special needs, etc) but old enough to enjoy the story none the less, though we did keep getting stuck on how the penguins could be those colors - finally he did understand when I said the penguin sees the world different than other people - kind of like his younger 3 year old brother.

I’d say this book would probably be best suited for a 1st or 2nd grade classroom. A good message of inclusion and celebrating everyone’s differences. Young enough to still enjoy the pictures and the story time but old enough to grasp the concepts that are dropped in the story line!

The message is a 5 star book, and the story was pretty good but overall I feel it could have been a little bit more cohesive. I’m sad that one will probably be banned. I really did love the message. The kids loved it.

I received an electronic ARC from NorthSouth Books Inc. through NetGalley.
Charming story about penguins and how unique each one is. However, Pfister never leaves stories on the surface level so this book is encouraging for readers to be who they are. We meet penguins with different strengths and interests. Some struggle with aspects of themselves and all worry about sharing with others. Terrific for families and for classrooms to open dialogue about being unique and special as you are. The artwork is worth studying to see how each penguin is different from the others.

A Penguin Like Me is a beautifully illustrated and important story that I could see becoming a childhood favorite. We meet many penguins living in the same colony with different personalities, interests, and physical differences. Kids will likely be able to see themselves in at least one of the penguins featured. The message is simple; we are all different, but we all belong.

Additional note:
Some parents and families may have an issue with the story though because it does mention one penguin having a crush on another of the same gender. At the very end of the book there’s also a statement about how many times it’s difficult to identify a penguin’s sex based on appearance alone which some may interpret as having a pro-LGBT type of message.

The illustrations and message behind this book were really charming, but for me there was too much text on each page for this to be ideal for kids. I liked the celebration of what makes each penguin unique, but think the text could have been 1/4 of what it was and got the same message across.

I really love the message of this book. It is endearing and has a great idea behind it. I wanted to love it because the message is so great but I struggled because I'm not sure my kids would really get into the book and ask to read it again. It reads a bit like a staff directory and not like a story. Great message but it just didn't deliver how I hoped.

After having some familiarity with Rainbow Fish, I was hoping for a solid follow up. I just did not enjoy this one or its message, as much as I'd hoped.

Lucas the penguin is looking for new friends. He finds a large group of penguins but fears he may not fit in. This is his story.

The theme of this story is basically that we're all unique. From a distance we may look alike but each of us is different. Beautifully illustrated, all the more because the frigid looking ice came as I'm living in negative number temps here in Alaska, this book introduces us to the unique characters that make up the penguin group. Although there is no true story to this one, the theme of "being different is okay" is strongly stressed throughout. It embraces diversity, from looking different to having different talents and skills, disabilities, or, yes, differences in sexual orientation. Some will criticize the book for that, I'm sure, but it's a legit difference we encounter in life, often without us being aware.

What the book does do is introduce us to the very similar yet subtly different penguins in the group. I kept waiting for them to genuinely interact but while each was thoroughly described, we were told about them, not shown. Thus, while conveying its message, I wonder how well the book will hold the attention of the targeted age group. Despite that concern, I enjoyed the illustrations and ideas behind the book and thank #NetGalley and #NorthSouthBooks for giving me a sneak peek. Penguins have always fascinated me, so this was a fun adventure for me.

Marcus Pfister does it again with an adorable story about celebrating others differences. We meet all the difference Penguins on the colony and what their strengths are. I love the last few pages of the story “every penguin is different but each one is a penguin”. A wonderful message for young readers. The illustrations are simple yet eye catching as well!

This book is an homage to individuality and still being members of a collective group. All penguins are individual and yet all penguins belong to the colony. If human beings remembered that all humans are different yet all belong to the collective group of humanity, what a better more compassionate and understanding world we would have. What a great book to remind children to be empathetic and accepting of others.

The text in this book is dense for a picture book. If possible, I would want the text to be more spread out to allow for better readability, although the font itself is fine. The illustrations are lovely and soft, with the penguins looking almost fluffy. I do like that each penguin has a distinct characteristic, but it reminds me of Lucy Falcone's "I Didn't Stand Up", in which each character had one characteristic and one page. This book is slightly better, as it highlights positive traits and how each penguin contributes to the community, because of their differences.

This is a lovely story about a group of penguins, who are all different, yet they celebrate each other's differences, and they all love and accept each other in their community. They all have their own ways of living their lives, and the story shows that it is ok to be different from others.

My daughter and I really liked this book, with its gorgeous illustrations and text which was easy to read. This is a great book, which I highly recommend!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc for an ARC of this book!

I was so excited to read an advanced copy of a book by Marcus Pfister! As a teacher, I read The Rainbow Fish every year to my Kindergarten students, so I was very interested in a new story to read and to potentially add to my classroom library when it comes out! I love the message the book gives about us all being different but belonging together. This is a perfect book to read to a class to discuss differences between us, but how we are all a classroom family. The illustrations are beautiful too!

I got this on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I think this is a great picture book to show how people can be very different but still fit in perfectly and belong in a community. Love the wide range of examples shown in this one too, all from behavior to insecurity to gender and sexuality-related differences. Would maybe have liked to see a bit more of an exploration of the different penguins introduced, but cute nonetheless!

Thank you for a free copy in exchange for my honest review. This story's message is that everyone is the same and yet everyone is also unique and different. Using a penguin colony as an example of a social community, readers learn about fear of acceptance in the group. It was less of a story and more of a primer on diversity and intrinsic value of all beings. "The main thing is that we're all penguins. And we belong together." It's a nice message, but the delivery was a little forced and basic. The colors and illustrations are beautiful and will captivate the eye. Not bad, just not one I will remember much.

A fun look at the penguin life. How we all can be different but how we belong together.

A special thank you to NorthSouth Books and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

A cute book about acceptance of everyone’s unique qualities, especially one’s own. Delightfully illustrated and a good conversation piece about how our differences are something to be celebrated not hidden. Perfect for readers aged 4-7.

First off, the illustrations are adorable and beautiful. I love the message of the book, it is beautiful but reads a little clunky. The digital format was a bit tricky to follow. Again, loved the message and illustrations.

I love this little book full of diversity. I know the moment I saw the cover that this would be heartwarming. But I couldn't guess to what extent it would be. These penguins are written and drawn with love. This would be such a good addition to your children's picture book to let them learn about our diverse world.