Well Done, Mummy Penguin

NOMINATED FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL
SHORTLISTED FOR THE IRISH BOOK AWARDS

"Chris Haughton s so good at making extremely shareable picture books. These are perfect for really younger ones who are sitting in your lap or at bedtime." Nadia Shireen, The Today Programme, BBC Radio 4

"This book will bring joy to young children and the grown-ups reading to them." Sunday Times, The 60 children's books you should buy this Christmas as chosen by the booksellers of Ireland

From Chris Haughton comes a funny, suspenseful celebration of mothers set against an atmospheric Antarctic backdrop.

Mummy Penguin is off to find a fishy dinner for her family. She has to swim very fast, climb a slippery cliff - cu-crunch, cu-crunch, cu-crunch - and even tiptoe past some sleeping seals... Shh! All the while, Little Penguin looks on in awe and says: "Well done, Mummy Penguin!"

The icy - and treacherous! - Antarctic landscapes are breathtaking in this funny and exciting celebration of all that mothers do, and all that mothers are.

"A visual and storytelling triumph, ideal for reading aloud." Top Choice, Children's Book Highlights, Irish Independent

"Another classic from Chris Haughton. With vibrant illustrations and simple text, this book will appeal to babies as well as older children and parents too." Books of 2022, Irish Examiner

"An ode to resilient mammies and the lengths they go to for their families ... another gorgeous string to Chris Haughton's bow." RTE.ie, 10 best Irish children's books of 2022

Review: [Chris Haughton] is so good at making extremely shareable picture books. These are perfect for really younger ones who are sitting in your lap or at bedtime. [...] It's just so much fun to read aloud, Kids will love reading out the refrain, and if you're a tired mum doing bedtime it's really nice to hear someone saying "well done, mummy penguin" every couple of pages because you can take it, I think, as a personal congratulation. -- Nadia Shireen * The Today Programme, BBC Radio 4 *
Haughton's signature blocky style works well to capture the squat, waddling seabirds. Icy blues and crisp whites saturate the chilly landscape. Playful sound effects add levity and make for a fun read-aloud, but it is Daddy Penguin's repeated calm assurance that Mommy Penguin will come back ("She sure will") that grounds and steadies the book even when Mommy is faced with a brief moment of danger. . . . Female empowerment and penguin parenting at its best. * Kirkus Reviews *

Prizes: Short-listed for The Irish Book Awards 2022 (Ireland). Nominated for The Carnegie Medal 2024 (UK).