Mariah Clark Skewes

Nana said, ‘NEVER pet a penguin!’ Maddy knows she shouldn’t, but she really, really wants to pet a penguin. She goes out in search of a penguin to pet. She searches across her whole town, in the garden, in the fields, and in the woods. She even visits the animal shelter and the local zoo, but there are no penguins to be found. At schools she learns all about penguins and where they live on earth, but they are all far too far away. So, she tries everything she can to reach the penguins. She tries to build a boat, a hot air balloon, and even tries to make herself wings to fly to the penguins. But nothing works! Just as Maddy is about to give up all hope of ever petting a penguin, her Nana has an extra special surprise for her.

Never Pet a Penguin is an illustrated picture book by Mariah Clark Skewes about a girl named Maddy - a little girl with a big dream – to pet a penguin. Maddy is a sweet and charming character, full of fun, imagination and adventure. Her journey begins at home, where she searches high and low for a penguin. Undeterred, she ventures across town, hoping that a penguin might be hiding somewhere unexpected. This is a fun and imaginative story that will captivate young readers who love wildlife and adventure. The illustrations by Phoebe Cho are simply delightful.

Star rating: 5 Stars 

Summary: A super sweet picture book, about a curious, determined and adventurous little girl and her search for a penguin.