Pals Penguin and Panda share wintertime adventures in THE ADVENTURES OF PENGUIN AND PANDA: WINTERFEST. The duo find—and find a way to pay for—the perfect Christmas tree, try out a variety of winter sports, shop for the perfect winter wear, and prepare for the Christmas holiday. Each story has a different message for readers, like compromising or taking risks to try new things. The friendship between Penguin and Panda is centered in each story and the differences in the unlikely duo’s personalities provide a vehicle to communicate the messages using humor and heart. The graphic novel’s soft color palette is perfect for the seasonal content and the short chapters make it easy for young readers to follow along.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an eARC of the book with me.

Winter is coming! Penguin and Panda have four new stories in this collection, four festive new tales! Best friends Penguin and Panda tackle wintertime challenges with humor and heart. From earning money for a (read as: THE BEST) Christmas tree to racing down snowy hills, they approach each adventure with laughs and warmth.

This was our first set of Penguin and Panda books and we will absolutely be seeking out more. As a graphic novel for early readers, it gave us Pizza & Taco vibes, which we also love. As a parent of an early reader and a non-reader, I often find that graphic novels are a little tough to read aloud, but my non-reader doesn't mind at all and loves looking at the pictures and learning about all their fun adventures!

Me: 5/5 This was a super cute holiday book. The kids were laughing and had a great time, we got to talk about fun holiday things we were excited for.

11 year old: 4/5 “I liked that it took place at Christmas and had animals. I wish it was longer and I wish we got more background on the other characters”

8 year old: 5 billion quadrillion/5 “I loved that it had animals and I loved that it was Christmas, and I loved the trees, and I loved when they were fighting, and I loved loved loved that there was a panda. It was very adorable too. The book could have been way longer and they could have had a different kind panda too, did you know there are red pandas?”

In a Nutshell: The third standalone graphic novel in the Penguin and Panda series. The best of the series so far, with wonderful wintry vibes.

This cute graphic novel is about two best friends and their adventures together. This is the third book in the ‘Adventures of Penguin and Panda’ series, but the books are standalone and can be read in any order. (That said, if you begin with this book, you might be befuddled about why Panda is carrying around an egg named Fred; he first popped up in the second book and evidently hasn’t popped out yet.)

The format of this book is the same as the other books in the series. There are four independent stories featuring the two titular animals and their adventures. As the title indicates, the dominant theme in this book is winter, so we get loads of snow and wintry vibes, along with a dash of Christmas.

Panda’s need for naps is still quite strong. Penguin is still her careful self, though the third story shows that she can also be adventurous in her choices when it suits her. I love how well the personalities of these two have been created and maintained consistently throughout the series.
This book also contains several fun facts about penguins and pandas.

The text is quite simple for the target age group, and the illustrations also, with their bright pastels and simple lines, would work wonderfully for them.

Not sure if it is because of the upcoming Christmas season, but this ended up my favourite of the three Penguin and Panda books I’ve read so far. All the stories were great, and all the life lessons were fun.

Definitely recommended! This would be a wonderful Christmas gift for kids aged 4-8.

4.25 stars.

My thanks to Marble Press for providing the DRC of “The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: Winterfest” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is the first Panda and Penguin book I have read. I loved the characters, Panda and Penguin. I like the idea of the book being a graphic novel. The pictures are great. I really love the lessons that the Panda and Penguin teach.

Penguin and Panda are such adorable friends, I love their dynamic.
The artwork is so cute and beautiful. I will be reading these to my son when he gets a little older.

I thought that this book was great and I loved the stories - Penguin and Panda have a few adventures such as getting a Christmas tree and wrapping presents..

The book has some subtle messaging in it too and the focus on working together, compromising, and taking in to account the thoughts and requests of others too. The illustrations in the book are really lovely too and work well with the adventures that Panda and Penguin have and we can't wait to see what they get up to next!

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

Another Penguin and What a beautiful collection of stories for this graphic novel. I love the little glimpse of the family Madrigal. If you loved Encanto and want to see a little more of the family shenanigans, this is the graphic novel for you! There's a tall-tale lesson, a talent show and the story of ow Felix and Pepa meet.

I really enjoyed the vibrant colors and the magical storytelling.Panda adventure and this time it's all things cozy and winter. Penguin learns the value of just enjoying a snowy day. Panda gets to give back to the community. I really enjoy their friendships and I can't wait to read whatever other adventures they embark on. If you love penguins and pandas - this is the picture book for you!

This graphic novel for early readers is super cute. It's the third in a series, but it also works as a standalone, and it features four short stories about Penguin and Panda enjoying Christmas traditions and winter activities. Each story includes a simple life lesson, like about dealing with anxiety when trying new things. The stories are really cute, and although the dialogue is occasionally a bit stilted, this is a fun, appealing story that will be a great fit for the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher

The Adventures of Penguin and Panda is a beginner graphic novel about two friends during the Christmas season. Penguin and Panda a cute characters and together make a great team helping teach different lessons with every situation they encounter together. The illustrations are cute and charming.

The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: Winterfest by Brenda Maier. Illustrated by Fanni Mezes. This book for children is beautiful. The Penguin and Panda get a long beautifully. Penguin 🐧 talks Panda 🐼 into doing things he would not normally do. I love the colorful illlustrations.

Much like other books by Brenda Maier, this one did not disappoint. Penguin and Panda have a precious friendship reminiscent of Elephant and Piggie but geared to readers ready for more of a challenge. The illustrations are adorable and enhance the story perfectly. The graphic format helps readers to be more successful and the fact that it has chapters helps give readers confidence to read more chapter books. I cannot wait to include this title in my school library!

Penguin and Panda are the cutest, I love their friendship. The illustrations are bright and it was great to on their adventures. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

Yippie, another adventures. Four all-new stories – each with a winter or holiday slant and featuring the comically sweet yin-and-yang besties, Penguin and Panda. All stories are lovely and must buy for your kids.

While I thought this was fine it was a real struggle to get my 7 year old daughter to read this with me. She said it just didn’t interest her which is rare since we read together every night. I think the length is more apt for older kids like 9 or 10.

Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so cute and fun. The illustrations were adorable and kids will love this book. This was just so stinking cute.

We will definitely be purchasing this for my daughter when she's a bit older! Such great characters and an engaging, fun story. I love the comic book presentation.

It was fine. The name Fred is spelt wrong on page 18 by the way. Who is Fred? I don’t think they are shown in the book.

This is such a sweet graphic novel about best friends Penguin & Panda, and some of their winter adventures. I loved that it was separated into 4 smaller, short stories. The illustrations are beyond adorable, and the main characters relationship was very cute.

This would be a great intro to graphic novels for the younger crowd. Thanks to NetGalley, Marble Press, and Brenda Maier for the chance to read and review!

I received an electronic ARC from Marble Press through NetGalley.
Penguin and Panda are back and ready to celebrate Christmas, or they will be once they complete all of the items on Penguin's list and find a tree. Readers will enjoy seeing their friendship and the ways they support each other. Both make compromises and both learn from each other. The illustrations capture the energy - especially when they try winter sports. Lower to mid elementary level readers will appreciate this third volume of adventures. Looking forward to more to come.