As most authors and their readers will tell you that while the completion of any quest is certainly important, even more essential is the journey one embarks on to achieve that goal. So it is with a penguin named Ingrid who longs to take to the air in Scott McDermott’s delightful children’s book, “A Penguin’s Quest.”
Ingrid, who lives with her parents in a penguin colony in Antarctica, is not like other penguins. Though she dutifully waddles daily to and from the ocean for fish, she spends much of her time gazing at the birds overhead and thinking how wonderful it would be if she could fly. The feeling of being able to soar through the air and see the world from an entirely new perspective is something that she’s been dreaming about for almost as long as she can remember. However, whenever she tries to tell anyone about this, she’s always laughed at and continually reminded that penguins cannot fly.
Achieving the Dream
Things change when, one day, Ingrid meets two pigeons named Sue and Lenny. Originally from New York City, this avian duo is headed to Rio de Janeiro when they accidentally get on the wrong boat and end up in Antarctica. Happy to help, Ingrid gives them directions to a ship that will soon be headed north and welcomes them into the penguin colony until their transportation arrives. When Ingrid happens to mention her dream of being able to fly, Lenny tells her about a place in upstate New York that just might be able to make her wish come true. If she can find a way to get there.It’s not long before Ingrid puts her best waddle forward and is determined to do just that. During her travels, she helps a ship navigate the ice-strewn waters near the bottom of the world, ventures into a dimly lit alley in New York City’s Chinatown for a most important audience, and is helped by a trio of rats who guide her to a train that will hopefully take her to her final destination. There’s also an encounter with a man in a red suit whose name readers might find somewhat familiar.
Some Adult Insights
“A Penguin’s Quest” may have been written for children (recommended for ages 4–7), but McDermott, a native of Switzerland who has been based in New York for the past quarter century, sprinkles in more than a few insights aimed at an older audience. In particular, he makes the observation of how always-busy New Yorkers pay absolutely no attention to a penguin waddling along the city streets, or riding the Staten Island Ferry, or on board a train leaving New York’s Penn Station.There’s also a touch of noir present with “Lou,” the “boss pigeon” who “practically runs the city,” as well as what could be called “hometown humor” with Lenny wearing a rather distinctive baseball cap when he and Sue initially turn up in Antarctica. The explanation for the two pigeons’ first appearance might cause those who watched Bugs Bunny cartoons when they were small to recall the wrong turn Bugs always took at Albuquerque.
Child’s Point of View
Written in a straightforward manner that’s both easy to follow and quite involving, Mr. McDermott’s text is nicely complemented by very effective illustrations by Christine Anderson. The different images help to set the tone and various locations of the story. Many of these images are meant to be seen from the point of view of a child, with the different scenes often unfolding far above their (and Ingrid’s) eye level. The pictures range from large flocks of penguins to Ingrid seeing the tall buildings of New York City for the first time and moments slightly more ominous, thanks to some expert incorporation of shading and light.This is a heartwarming tale about wanting to reach for the skies. The reader may not believe a penguin can actually learn to fly, at least at first, but there is nothing more fulfilling than watching someone take the chance to see what is actually possible while wholeheartedly rooting for them to succeed.
