Penguin and Ollie

PreS-Gr 2–Penguin returns in another adventure! Deep beneath the sea, he sets out to explore the ocean floor for sunken treasure. Searching a hollow log, dark cave, and a kelp forest with no luck, his friend Crab suggests exploring a nearby sunken ship. Suddenly, a black cloud envelopes Penguin and from it emerges Ollie the octopus. Embarrassed, Ollie confesses that too much excitement or nervousness causes him to ink, and he loses his ability to camouflage with his surroundings. Ollie lists the many things he uses camouflage to hide from, like krill, pufferfish, lobsters, and especially sharks. Penguin and Ollie become fast friends and continue the treasure hunt, but when Penguin’s friend Shark appears, Ollie disappears without a trace. Penguin and his friends call for Ollie, but he is nowhere to be found. How will Penguin be able to find his new eight-armed friend and the treasure now? In Yoon’s familiar style, vibrant illustrations are outlined in black and pair seamlessly with large, clear lines of text, producing a crisp presentation. The last pages offer a scavenger hunt, depicting ocean animals and toys to spot, sending readers flipping back through the pages. Be ready to supplement with nonfiction texts for a deep dive on the octopus, as young readers’ interests may be piqued by Ollie’s curious characteristics and bubble with questions about ink clouds and camouflage.