This is book 2 in the series and my 6 year old loved it! We read it aloud at bed time and it was perfect. The team of four (Mr. Penguin, Colin, Gordon and Edith) are saving a rock that belongs to the museum from the bad guys. This is a fun book filled with adventure and mystery and lots of laughs! The  illustrations are adorable and colorful and help tell the story. Definitely two thumps up! give it a read!

I had a few reserves about this book, mostly because I didn't love book one as much as I'd hoped. Book one was less cheeky with a more focused plot than Smith's previous series. I'm glad I gave this one a chance, because it's much stronger than the introductory volume. Now that we've met the characters and their world is established Smith has more room to develop the plot. And since he's more familiar with the characters, he's beginning to hit the perfect humor notes, just the right level of nonsense. So we get a bit more of the silly humor and oddball elements we saw in Claude the dog but with a more adventure focused plot.

A Fine Sequel

This is the second book in the Mr. Penguin series, which now stands at three books but could probably go on for another dozen or so without anyone minding. The first book devoted a good deal of page time and effort to introducing Mr. Penguin, his spider sidekick Colin, and their detective agency. This book takes off like a rocket from page one and the details are filled in on the fly. It would be perfectly fine to start the series here, but I do have a bit of a soft spot for how neatly and elegantly and amusingly Mr. Penguin was first introduced to us.

This time out Mr. Penguin is in full Indiana Jones mode, and the author makes no apologies for that. We have a handy leather satchel instead of a whip, but the gung-ho derring-do is identical. Indeed, possibly as a joke, we open with a ballroom scene about the recovery of an object that plays out very much like the Indiana "Temple of Doom" movie, so there may be a bit of a winking nod there. Once we get through that cold open the real plot starts and it is both easy for a younger reader to follow and inventive and fast paced. 

Indeed, what I most appreciate about these books, (apart from the charm and silliness of Mr. Penguin and the cool competence of the unflappable Colin), is how well it combines plot, action and a fast pace, while never outrunning the younger reader. Some elementary and early middle grade books are too simple and some are unnecessarily convoluted, but the Mr. Penguin books hit that sweet middle spot between those extremes.

The drawings, often overlooked or dismissed in books like this, are just right and deserve comment. They are amusing on their own, but of more importance they are inserted at just the right points in the narrative and complement the action in a fashion that guides the younger reader through the story. This isn't by any stretch a graphic novel, but is designed more like a novel that has graphics that actually help explain and illustrate the action. 

So, for me, this is a fine addition to the line and a satisfying and entertaining read on its own. Nicely done.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

I received an electronic ARC from Peachtree Publishing Company through NetGalley.
This is the second in the series but readers can read them out of order and still understand the plot. Mr. Penguin and his band of adventurers manage to retrieve an important stone through a set of comedic events to begin the story. As they escape, they crash land in a village and have to solve another mystery to save the world. Again, through missteps and errors, they complete their tasks and save the world from an evil hypnotist intent on taking control of humans everywhere.
Elementary level readers will love the pure silliness of the characters and situations.

I loved the first Mr. Penguin book and completely adore its sequel. You can't go wrong when you combine Indiana Jones and a penguin. Looking forward to future adventures.

Another fun and humor-filled adventure for Mr. Penguin and Colin in book 2 of this adorable series.  In this Indiana Jones inspired character, children of all ages will enjoy the cute illustrations and quirky adventures of Mr. Penguin and his companion. It has just enough illustrations throughout the book for those children still transitioning from picture books to chapter books.  A perfect addition to your home or school library, and a must-read series for your reluctant readers! You'll want to keep a few copies of each title in your school library. Recommended for ages 7 and up!

I'm taking off one star for formatting.  The kindle file is insane...with mixed text and then copies of pages of the same text...the file needs some assistance.

The book itself, however, in library binding, will make a nice addition to our classroom library, particularly for the lower level readers.  With a winning combination of action-adventure, mystery, and outright silliness, the story keeps readers involved.  It appears to be written for upper elementary, but will work well with my middle school students who need high interest / low level books.