Mr. Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise

I Love These Guys

This is the third book in the Mr. Penguin series, and I think they are getting better with each volume. In the first book we had to set up the premise and introduce the main characters, and that was a bit time consuming and sometimes odd. The characters are a touch surreal so it took a little time to warm up to them. By the second book we had the players and the premise down, but then the plot went a little loopy.

But now this third time is definitely the charm. With the characters firmly in place we get to develop them more, and both Mr. Penguin and Colin, (his sidekick spider), develop deeper and more interesting personalities, (as does Edith, who's always a treat just when least expected). This is all still done for laughs, but they aren't quite so cartoony this time around. In the same vein, the plot is reliably antic, but it stays on the rails and is easy enough to follow even when it heads, (as these plots always do), into nutty territory. It also seems that more space and effort has been devoted to little side scenes and funny bits that aren't directly related to the plot but do flesh out the adventure.

As always, the drawing, (and attention grabbing splashes), support and complement the storytelling, and many panels are loaded with clever and wacky details that add a good deal to the overall enjoyment of the book, and understanding, (for younger readers), of the action.

So, "Mr. Penguin" is a series with continuing appeal, (and just enough sly good-natured humor for parents and older readers), and this third volume is a fine addition.

(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.)

A BIG Thank You to Netgalley and Hodder Children’s Books for providing me an advanced reader’s copy of “Mr Penguin and the Catastrophic Cruise” for my review.

I have not read the previous books in the series, so I didn’t really know what to expect. But I am so glad that I read it. It surpassed my expectations and turned out to be a wonderful read! I loved it! This is one of those books that just made me feel warm all over after reading.

This book is perfect if you are in the mood for a feel-good, light-hearted adventure. Even though it is targeted for younger readers, I feel a person of any age will enjoy this. There are quite a few twists and turns which even I didn’t see coming. There is so much adventure in this story that I felt like I was re-living the old Tintin comics.

The characters are quirky, charming and just bring a smile to your face. There are some moments that are completely implausible (like how the crew mistake Mr. Penguin and Colin as members because they are in uniform). However, you can still ignore them, as surprisingly, it adds well to the story. Also, Mr. Penguin is adorable as the main character where he overcomes his fears and leaps into adventure. Moreover, I loved Colin and his notepad, Marina, Edith and even the Kraken. The author has also depicted the villains in a dastardly but humorous way.

Now coming to the author. This is the first time I read about Alex T.Smith and I am BLOWN AWAY like Mr. Penguin! He wrote this wonderful story AND did all the amazing, jaw-dropping illustrations. This book is a visual delight in each page, whether it be just the background colors or the large texts (in addition to the main illustrations). In fact, even if I had any problems with the story, the illustrations more than made up for it. I have become a fan of the author and NEED to read all his previous books.

Overall, this story was a delight and made me purchase even the previous two books in the series.