Blue Penguin

Heartwarming tale of friendship, difference, and belonging, with a gorgeous wintry palette. * The Bookseller *
Get in the Christmas spirit early with this stunningly illustrated book by award-winning illustrator Petr Horácek. […] A charming and engaging book about friendship, understanding and belonging, this heart-warming story is just the thing to help promote positive behaviour in your young child and send him soundly off to sleep. * Junior *
A heart-warming fable about friendship and belonging from the award-winning illustrator Petr Horacek. * Parent Talk *
There’s a magical and luminous quality to the icy landscapes dazzlingly rendered by Petr Horácek in this sublime story on the theme of insiders and outsiders * Red Reading Hub *
Horacek’s textured, colour-rich artwork creates dramatically beautiful Antarctic scenes while the little penguin is a charmer. * Books for Keeps *
A heart-warming story of a little blue penguin who struggles being different from the rest. The story discusses friendship and belonging, with a lovely finale. * Angels & Urchins *
Petr Horácek’s dreamy Blue Penguin [is] a nice enough story, but what really makes this book sing are Horácek’s amazing illustrations, all ice and snow with occasional vivid sightings of an orange-coloured sun. * The Independent on Sunday *
The dream-like quality of the illustrations and the evocation of snowy isolation make this a very special book and one to be treasured, as its message of friendship is so beautifully and magically conveyed. A stunning Christmas present * Daily Mail *
Horácek’s textured, colour-rich artwork creates dramatically beautiful Antarctic scenes while the little penguin is a charmer. * Books for Keeps *
Petr Horácek is a fine storyteller and illustrator, and this is well up to standard. […] This is another delightful book from a multi-talented author. * The School Librarian *
“There are some breathtakingly beautiful illustrations in Petr Horacek’s new picture book, and a story to bring a lump to the throat. Blue Penguin does the same things that the other penguins do but, because of his colour, they don’t regard him as a ‘real’ penguin. Excluded and alone on the ice, Blue Penguin dreams of a white whale that will come and rescue him. He sings a song to the whale and another penguin hears it, and becomes his friend. His singing wins over the other penguins too and when the whale does arrive, she finds the little penguin surrounded by friends. It’s a story to warm us all and Petr Horacek’s rich, colour-saturated, textured artwork creates Antarctic landscapes that are simply magnificent.” * Andrea Reece November 2016 Book of the Month, LoveReading *
marvellous and atmospheric * The Herald *