Another fun adventure with Penguin and Panda! These two best friends are always up to something, whether it’s exploring, playing, or learning valuable lessons about themselves and the world around them. This is a wonderful children’s book—full of heart, fun, and important messages wrapped in sweet storytelling. The artwork is colorful and adorable, perfectly matching the tone of the story. I really enjoy reading these—Penguin and Panda make a great duo!

Thank you to NetGalley and Marble Press for the ARC of The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: In the Dark. This is the fourth installment of the series and the stories continue to captivate with humor and adorable art. Penguin and Panda are unlikely friends, with vastly different personalities, but they are always together, bringing out the best in each other. This is a great graphic novel for kids reading on their own! We will definitely add this to our growing collection of Penguin and Panda books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was so cute! I love this series because it is so adorable and fun.

This graphic novel for early readers is super cute. It's the fourth in a series, but you can also read it as a standalone. There are a couple of references in here that people will only understand if they've read the previous books, but the stories are self-contained.

This book includes multiple short stories about Penguin and Panda hanging out and doing various activities. Each story includes a message about a different life issue, such as procrastination or decision paralysis. The characters' contrasting personalities create humor throughout the story, and the illustrations are incredibly cute. This book will appeal to the target audience of young elementary-aged kids, and it's also a cute, cozy read for older readers who enjoy books like this.

So cute, fun and an entertaining read. Love the illustrations and despite the simple story, I still enjoyed this book. Recommended.

4/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Marble Press for the ARC.

This graphic novel is absolutely adorable! Penguin & Panda: In the Dark combines fun visuals with a heartwarming, meaningful story that teaches important lessons in a light and approachable way. The characters are super cute and relatable, making it a great pick for young readers.

What I really loved was how the book gently explores themes like procrastination, friendship, compromise, and decision-making—all wrapped up in a story that’s both funny and sweet. It never feels preachy, just honest and engaging. The visual storytelling makes these lessons easy for kids to understand and talk about.

As someone who works with students, I would absolutely use this graphic novel as a tool for teaching social-emotional skills. It opens the door for great conversations and reflections in a way that feels natural and age-appropriate.

Perfect for classrooms, school libraries, or anyone looking for a meaningful yet fun graphic novel for younger readers

Adorable!
My 8 year old daughter loved it. We enjoyed the characters, and she found it engaging & the story easy to follow!

The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: In the dark is an amazing addition to the Penguin and Panda series. This children's graphic novel continues the journey of two friends bonding and growing together. This books shares fun facts, as well as messages about friends supporting each other, holding each other accountable, and having fun. My kids love PENGUIN AND PANDA.

In a Nutshell: The fourth standalone graphic novel in the Penguin and Panda series. Amusing stories, cute illustrations, good life lessons. A fun option for beginner readers.

The format of this book is the same as the earlier three graphic novels of this series. There are four stories set around the two titular characters. Each story is a good combination of entertainment and wisdom. The life lessons from each story are practical and relevant to the target age group.
Penguin and Panda are still as cute. Their friendship and bond comes out excellently in this book. Sometimes, Penguin is at fault, and sometimes, Panda is the one to make mistakes. However, even when they are upset, they remember to apologise and make amends. A good lesson for littlies to remember.
Those who have read the earlier books might be curious about Fred, the egg that Panda adopted in the second book. Well, Fred the egg is still an egg! I guess we need to demand a fifth book just to clear the mystery of Fred’s identity.
The language in these is quite easy, perfect for beginner readers just transitioning from picture books to chapter books.
There are some interesting facts about penguins, pandas, and one more surprise animal at the end.
The illustrations are cute. Penguin still rocks those little purple ponytails of hers. Panda is as goofy as ever. The art style is simple, with the animals’ expressions adding much to the overall feel of the book.
Definitely recommended. This would be a nice option for readers aged 5-8 years.
4 stars.
My thanks to Marble Press for providing the DRC of “The Adventures of Penguin and Panda: In the Dark” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Wow. If ever a graphic novel captured the personalities of me and my partner, this is it. Panda with his why not stop by the really liked the analogy between a puppy and the brain. Also, the main character has the patience and perseverance of a saint. The illustrations are beautiful and the messages are strong and empowering. All our brains can be like a puppy at times, best to give it room to play and grow with grace. bookstore sale for a book or 5 is totally my vibe and Penguin is the need to buy all the plants to make her garden better than the neighbor’s is totally my husband’s vibe. Lol. I love everything about Panda and Penguin and this book in the series is no exception. It explores topics of making decisions, procrastination and being scared of the dark while glamping.

4 cute, sweet and fun adventures of Penguin and Panda!
Penguin has trouble making decisions
A garden competition between Penguin and her new neighbour gets out of hand
Panda's procrastinating on the important things in his life
The friends go camping, not only is it penguins 1st time camping but she's also scared of the dark!
This was so much fun and a beautiful way to show personal growth, friendship and patience

Penguin and Panda continue to display how very different they are, but that doesn't stop them from being friends. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first two that I've read, but it's still another cute addition to the series.

Brenda Maier’s The Adventures of Penguin and Panda is a lighthearted romp through the sticky, silly world of childhood curiosity, featuring two characters who couldn’t be more different — and that’s exactly what makes them work. Penguin is all energy and chaos, while Panda is the picture of sleepy calm. What follows is a series of delightfully relatable misadventures that many young readers (and adults) will recognize instantly.

The book opens, delightfully, with a hand-drawn map of Happy hills — a whimsical visual touch that immediately pulls readers into their shared world. The color palette, through the novel, feels cheerful without being too loud, and there are lovely details that reward a slower second read — such as the sly expressions or the environmental reactions around them.

There’s a quiet brilliance in how Maier captures the rhythms of friendship: the push-and-pull, the mismatched personalities, and the small, almost invisible compromises that make connection possible. I loved the factual tidbits layered throughout the story

The Adventures of Penguin and Panda succeeds at what it sets out to do: entertain, amuse, and sneak in a lesson about friendship without making it feel like homework. It’s a great read-aloud option, especially for classrooms or bedtime — and ideal for young readers who love the mix of slapstick and heart.

I'm not sure if it's the way I viewed this, but the formatting of the text made it painful to read.

I will check out the other books in the series in print, and if the formatting isn't an issue, I will purchase for my library.

The illustrations are charming, and who doesn' t love an unlikely duo?

Thank you for the ARC.

Penguin and Panda have such an engaging dynamic one that will keep the kids engaged for each page turn! The duo explore relatable emotions that we all feel, but especially kids, like indecisiveness, jealousy and fear, which will perhaps inspire a bit of reflection for the readers. Told through soft and vibrant illustrations, these characters will have this book on the nightly reading request list many times!

I always get a kick out of Penguin and Panda because they are two friends who care about each other and do everything together -- but they are so different! Getting ready to go camping is stressful when one of you prepares better, and the night can be scary if you don't know what's in the dark. But these two friends have their hilarious adventures and talk out their problems so they can have fun.