Ethel the Penguin

By Ursula Dubosarsky 

Illustrated by Christopher Nielsen

Reviewed by Meg Rowe

You are in safe hands with acclaimed Australian author Ursula Dubosarsky – with over sixty books published for children and young adults, including best-sellers, The Terrible Plop, Brindabella  and Too Many Elephants in the House. She has received the NSW Premier’s Literary Award five times, and was appointed Australian Children’s Laureate in 2020-2021. Ethel the Penguin, is her second picture book collaboration with author/illustrator Christopher Nielsen (Colour Makes the World Go Round, CBCA Notable Book, Just One Bee) and will delight 3-8-year-olds with a delicious dose of adventurous fun.

Ethel the penguin is sassy, adventurous, WILD – and the perfect best friend! Ethel has moved into the semi-detached ice-berg next door and is the new kid (ahem…penguin) at school. The teacher, Miss Ink, finds Ethel’s exuberant unpredictability unruly but it’s when Ethel decides to leave home on an adventure to ride a Ferris Wheel that things really get interesting!

Ethel the Penguin taps into children’s love of animals and the magical world of imagination where animals can do anything – the crazier the better! The books rhyme and rhythm make it an enjoyable read aloud as well as supporting early literacy skills such as text prediction and phonemic awareness and Christopher Nielson’s illustrations are an excellent match for Dubosarsky’s action-packed plot and feisty main character, bringing a good dollop of vibrant energy to Ethel’s zany capers.

Ethel the Penguin is a high-spirited, adventurous romp that allows children to explore their wild side and embrace fun-for-funs-sake, and if the books closing words are anything to go by, we can look forward to more upbeat antics from Ethel in the future.

Allen & Unwin 2024

Ursula Dubosarsky

Christopher Nielsen