Please Play Safe!

Reviews

Penguin's second outing is all about playground safety, with a healthy dose of good manners and respect thrown in for good measure. From taking turns on equipment and sharing toys, to getting friends to play games and cleaning up when it's time to go home, Cuyler covers all the bases. Hillenbrand masterfully portrays facial expressions on his simple cartoon animals, making it clear to even the youngest of readers what the friends are feeling when the playground rules are broken. So expressive are his characters that the text does not spell out why the rule needs to be followed-youngsters can see the panic on Hippo's face when she is sliding down the slide and Bear starts to crawl up, for instance. Penguin's fans will be happy to learn that the author/illustrator team has kept the same format: A blatant wrongdoing is followed by the question, "Is that right?" A turn of the page, and likely a chorus from listeners, reveals, "No, that's wrong," while the text and illustrations demonstrate how to do things the right way. Required reading for parents and children alike. – Kirkus Reviews

 

PreSchool-Grade 2-This child-friendly guide is set up as a series of don'ts and dos. Each vignette shows the repercussions of doing something thoughtlessly-jumping off a seesaw too quickly, climbing up a slide, kicking sand-followed by the proper way to play. Children can participate in the story by replying to the question asked at the end of each don't-Is that right?-with the refrain, No, that's wrong, before Penguin explains the safe way to behave. The text is simple enough for beginners since the softly shaded, multimedia color illustrations provide excellent visual clues. The pictures are full of active animals under the watchful tutelage of whistle-wearing Penguin. A fun addition. – School Library Journal

 

This helpful book cleverly plays on young children's burgeoning sense of irony. Instead of dutifully listing the way kids should act on the playground, little ones get this: "When Elephant plays on the seesaw, he should jump off quickly so that his friend bumps to the ground. Is that right?" Kids will enjoy screaming "No!" at the top of their lungs. Then they can consider the advice offered on the next page: the elephant should "stay put until his friend climbs off." There are discussions about playing on the monkey bars (given by a chimp), sliding down a slide, jumping rope, and lots more. Hillenbrand's artwork features simply shaped, high-spirited animals outlined in black. All the fun they are having is contagious. Whether kids will remember these rules of the road (playground version) when they are on-site remains to be seen, but they will certainly like this activity-filled trip to the park. – Booklist

 

Penguin and his friends travel together to the playground to play but, just like all little kids, in their excitement they sometimes forget how to behave. Penguin, with his whistle around his neck, notices when his friends are misbehaving and sets about to correct them. He wants to know if one should jump off a seesaw, climb up a slide, kick sand in someone's face, or swing across the monkey bars when they are in use. Of course the answer to these questions and others is a resounding no, but Penguin does not stop there. He gently reminds his friends about the proper way to use the playground equipment and the proper and polite way to play with playground friends. Subtitled Penguins Guide to Playground Safety , this picture book is an excellent introduction to playground etiquette for the littlest of playground participants. It is a must read book for playground visitors both big and small. – Children's Literature