Ellen and Penguin and the New Baby

From BooklistAges 3^5. Ellen and her stuffed animal friend, Penguin, are ambivalent about her new baby brother, who gets a lot of Mommys attention as well as Ellens old mobile with the woolly lambs. One day, though, the baby starts to cry, and Mommy asks Ellen to cheer him up. When Ellen and Penguin discover that they can make the baby laugh, they decide that he isnt too bad after all. Its an old story and maybe a bit more optimistic than realistic, but Vulliamys charming watercolor illustrations give this picture book fresh appeal, particularly for children familiar with Ellen and Penguin (1993). Carolyn PhelanProduct DescriptionWhen big sister Ellen first meets her new baby brother, her beloved stuffed toy, Penguin, thinks that he does not care for the baby, who receives most of the attention, until he becomes pivotal in helping to stop the babys crying.From School Library JournalPreSchoolK?Ellen is not sure she likes her new baby brother. As in Ellen and Penguin (Candlewick, 1993) she attributes her own feelings to her stuffed toy, allowing her to work through her jealousy more easily. Vulliamy does a good job of letting pictures tell the story. When Ellen cant sleep, for example, she walks Penguin around, patting his back. The illustration shows her mother walking and patting the baby at the same time, clearly implying that Ellen wishes her mother were holding her instead. After babys presence ruins their fun on several occasions, Mom asks Ellen to try and cheer him up. When she uses Penguin to entertain him, he laughs and Ellen and Penguin finally agree ...that new baby brothers werent so bad after all. Appealing watercolors help enliven the simple story. As the little girls face shows anger or delight, Penguins expressions also change subtly to match hers. The depictions of Ellen and her mother are less successful, as they have nearly identical faces and expressions. In one scene they look more like sisters than parent and child. Though not as engaging as Martin Waddells When the Teddy Bears Came (Candlewick, 1995) or Jane Cutlers Darcy and Gran Dont Like Babies (Scholastic, 1993), this is a warm and pleasant picture book on a popular topic.?Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, ORCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.From Kirkus ReviewsThe stars of Ellen and Penguin (1993) are back and this time they have a new baby brother who manages to intrude upon just about everything. He cries when theyre trying to listen to a quiet story, he goes wherever they go, and he gets to have Ellens old mobile over his crib. A spare and perfectly understated text shows how Ellen expresses disgruntlement through Penguin; in Vulliamys warm watercolors readers and listeners see Penguin through Ellens eyes, as he accurately reflects her feelings. As part of the design, Ellen seems to recede into the pages when shes unhappy, and fairly burst from the illustration when shes happy. With so many books available about new arrivals in the family, theres still room for one as highspirited and realistic as this one. (Picture book. 35) Copyright 1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.