Tacky the Penguin

by Helen Lester

Hardcover, 1988

Status

Available

Call number

813.54

Collection

Publication

HMH Books for Young Readers (1988), Edition: Ex-library, 32 pages

Description

Tacky the penguin does not fit in with his sleek and graceful companions, but his odd behavior comes in handy when hunters come with maps and traps.

User reviews

LibraryThing member kidlit9
Tacky the penguin does not fit in with his sleek and graceful companions, but his odd behavior comes in handy when hunters come with maps and traps.
LibraryThing member matthewbloome
This story of a oddball bird that saves his friends with his oddball ways. They only apprecaite him after they see the value in his strangeness, and then, oh boy, are they greatful. I love Tacky. He's the kind of penguin I'd like to be.
LibraryThing member TorrieM
I would use this book for K-3rd grade. It is about a penguin named Tacky. He is not like the other penguins. He doesn't march like them, he can't sing, and he can't dive. At first the other penguins are mean to him, but he saves them from the hunters. This book shows its okay to be different and
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everyone has their own talents.
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LibraryThing member conuly
The message "it's okay to be different" is a popular one in the world of picture books. Unfortunately, it's usually paired with vivid examples of people harassing the different person - comes a point in Rudolph, for example, where I wonder why the red-nosed reindeer agreed to help any of them!

Tacky
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manages to avoid that. Tacky is different from the other penguins, and doesn't fit in, but they don't go out of their way to make him feel bad for that. And then, of course, his differences go on to save the day. Well, that and his bad singing.
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LibraryThing member clmattox
Tacky is such a fun penguin. This is a good book to use when setting the purpose before reading. You can give students things to look for such as differences between Tacky and the other penguins.
LibraryThing member dangerlibearian
Original Tacky the Penguin story. The other penguins do not get along with Tacky because he is different, but then his differences save the other penguins from hunters. Tacky is an odd penguin but sometimes good to have around.
LibraryThing member hokonow
This story is about a penguin named Tacky, who for the majority of the story does not fit in with the other penguins. He likes to have fun and do things his own way, and the other penguins find his playful behavior strange. It is not until Tacky saves the other penguins from being taken by hunters
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that the other penguins realize how lucky they are to have Tacky as their friend, and they accept him for who he is.
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LibraryThing member MeMaWa
Tacky the Penguin is different from all the other penguins. Yet it is his unique qualities that save the day when trappers come to catch the penguins. This book teaches children that it is okay to be different using catchy writing and creative characters.
Category: Building Community- celebrating
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ourselves and others
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LibraryThing member klightwi
This was and still is my favorite picture book. I remember having arguments at the library over this book with my mom about how I couldn't get that book again. Tacky is a very lovable character who doesn't develop much through the story but rather others come to respect him. The songs are pry one
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of my favorite parts, especially because you don't have to be good to sick them as Tacky doesn't sing nicely. I also enjoy the noises that the hunters make in this book.
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LibraryThing member Alyssa.pinkk
Summary: "Tacky the penguin" is about a penguin that is very unique and some what different than the other penguins. All the other penguins are elegent and smooth when they do things, like marching, diving, and singing. But Tacky has his own way of doing things. A little odd way if I say so. But
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when the hunters come to kidnap the penguins so they can sell them for money Tacky helps them. Tacky asks the hunters "What's happening?" Also by slapping them on the back hard. The hunters explain to him what is happening. So Tacky decides to show the hunters what he thinks they are looking for in a penguin. He first marches 1,2 4,21, 2, 0.. the hunters look confused. Then he shows him his diving, which turns out to be a huge cannon ball! Splash!! Then the hunters are sort of shocked because this is not what penguins they are looking for they want elegent penguins. So after the show from Tacky the hunters say we do not want you and leave the land of where the penguins are. In the end all the penguins enjoy having Tacky around even if he is a little odd.

Personal: This is one of my favorite books I have read this year because it has so much to it. It illustrates how you can be yourself and help others. It shows that even the elegent and uppity children can love the odd children because we need diversity to help each other out in most situations in life or at school.

Classroom extension:
1. Obviously I would use this during all about me week or theme because the story shows to be yourself.
2. I would use this book during penguins or animals put it on the book shelf so the kids can enjoy it with each other not just by me reading to them
3. The last one would be winter because penguins live where it is cold and snows alot.
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LibraryThing member claireforhan
This book explore the idea of being an individual and not conforming to those around you because that is how you are "supposed" to act. Tacky is an odd bird, and he walks, sings and dives differently than all his graceful companions. However, Tacky's oddness and cleverness come in handy when he
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gets the hunters to leave the penguins alone.

This book has cute pictures, relatively simply vocabulary and not a ton of words on every page. Great for early elementary.

This book is great at teaching children that being yourself is very powerful, and that conforming to society is not always a good thing.

Teaching Extension:
Have students write about/discuss their differences and what makes them a unique individual. Introduce the concepts of "conforming" and "individuality."
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LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect - as the reader might have intuited from their names - were the sort of well-groomed penguins who marched in time. The sort who were graceful divers, sweet singers, and always greeted each other politely. Tacky was a different kind of penguin - a
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distinctly odd kind. He liked loud shirts, loud greetings, and loud (splashy) cannonballs; and although they were far too polite to comment, his companions looked askance at his many shenanigans. And then one day, three rough and tough hunters arrived, and Tacky's tackiness suddenly came in handy...

The first in series of picture-books devoted to the adventures of this lovable nonconformist, Tacky the Penguin is a hilariously engaging animal story that demonstrates what a blessing it is to be an individual. Lynn Munsinger's droll illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to Lester's tale, emphasizing the zany madcap-antics of her characters. Although long aware of the Tacky books, I had somehow never gotten around to reading them, when a recent Horn Book review of the latest title (Tacky Goes to Camp) convinced me to rectify that mistake. How happy I am that I did! I sense another Bad Bear project in the offing...
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LibraryThing member meallen1
This book was really really cute! It was about a penguin who was different than all of his his friends. He didnt sing very well and he didnt march like the rest of his friends. One day some hunters came looking for some penguins and they ran into tacky. He showed them how he marched and sang. Then
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the hunters ran away and never hunted penguins again.
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LibraryThing member ngwiaz1
I liked this book mainly because of the illustrations. They were very detailed and the humanistic facial expressions depicted the characters well. I thought the images were very age appropriate and enjoyable, filled with color. I liked how Tacky was wearing a Hawiian shirt; it added humor and irony
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because that piece of clothing is tacky itself and made Tacky stand out from the other penguins, adding emphasis on the main idea that Tacky is unique. I enjoyed the repetition of the penguin's names throughout the story and the hunter's dialogue that rhymed. This minor detail helped readers stay engaged. For example, "rich, rich, rich" was continuously repeated.
I liked the main idea of this story because it embraces individuality. The story showed how Tacky used his uniqueness to scare away the hunters. The author made it clear that the message is to be proud that each and every person is different.
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LibraryThing member emills4
The story that made me fall in love with penguins as a child and even more as I am reading it now. This is the story of the tacky penguin that did not fit in with the other penguins. The author's central message was that being different is not always a bad thing. In the beginning of the story the
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penguin is seen as annoying and always bothering the other penguins. The other penguins are given sophisticated names and seen as superior penguins. But in the end, they needed the tacky penguins help to rid off the hunters. So even though the tacky penguin was different, he ended up helping the other penguins in the end. My evaluation of the story is that is sends a clear central message that all children should learn about at a young age, that being different is not bad. I also think the author is trying to tell the readers that being accepting of other people is very important in life.
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LibraryThing member ying-sun
Tacky the Penguin is one of the books in my book group. This is the story of the Tacky penguin that did not fit in with the other penguins. In the beginning of the story Tacky is seen as annoying and always bothering the other penguins. The other penguins are given sophisticated names and seen as
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superior penguins. But in the end, they needed the tacky penguins help to rid off the hunters. So even though the Tacky is different, he helps the other penguins in the end. This book shows readers a different and funny impression of penguins and I believe students will enjoy reading this story and love penguins this animal.
And being different is not always bad, sometimes difference can help in some cases.
Age: 6-9
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LibraryThing member msmarymac
A cute story of an odd penguin that doesn’t quite do things the same way the other penguins do. The other penguins are very orderly and Tacky is not. The other penguins are very graceful and Tacky is anything but graceful. But when the hunters come looking for orderly, graceful penguins they meet
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Tacky. Tacky is able to convince them they will not find what they are look for here. Tacky and his crazy antics manage to save the other penguins from the hunter’s traps.

Personal Reflection: I really liked this story of originality. I have always tried to teach my children to be their own person and don’t just do something because everyone else is doing it. If Tacky had changed who he was to be like the other penguins they would all have been captured.

Classroom Extension: (minimum of 2)
1. A great story to teach students about being an individual and not worrying about being just like everyone else.
2. Also a good story for teaching students how to look out for others even if they haven’t always been nice to you. The orderly penguins didn’t always say nice things to Tacky but he still helped them in the end.
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LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Tacky is not quite like all the other penguins. They find him loud and difficult. Tacky's antics are sure to make little listeners laugh and of course end up saving the day.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Tacky is not quite like all the other penguins. They find him loud and difficult. Tacky's antics are sure to make little listeners laugh and of course end up saving the day.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Tacky is not quite like all the other penguins. They find him loud and difficult. Tacky's antics are sure to make little listeners laugh and of course end up saving the day.
LibraryThing member Rosa.Mill
Tacky is not quite like all the other penguins. They find him loud and difficult. Tacky's antics are sure to make little listeners laugh and of course end up saving the day.
LibraryThing member KEFeeney
Tacky is the Joe Dirt of penguins! He shows us that even if we march to our own beat, cannonball rather then swan dive, or sing on a different key we are uniquely lovable.
LibraryThing member KEFeeney
Tacky is the Joe Dirt of penguins! He shows us that even if we march to our own beat, cannonball rather then swan dive, or sing on a different key we are uniquely lovable.
LibraryThing member KEFeeney
Tacky is the Joe Dirt of penguins! He shows us that even if we march to our own beat, cannonball rather then swan dive, or sing on a different key we are uniquely lovable.
LibraryThing member KEFeeney
Tacky is the Joe Dirt of penguins! He shows us that even if we march to our own beat, cannonball rather then swan dive, or sing on a different key we are uniquely lovable.

Awards

Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 1991)
Horace Mann Upstanders Award (Suggested Book — Children's Books)

Lexile

L

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1988

Physical description

9.5 inches

ISBN

0395455367 / 9780395455364

UPC

046442455367
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