Found out in the snow all alone, a scruffy gray penguin hatches from its egg and, with a “sloppy” tux and “gangly” feet, struggles to fit in with his penguin classmates, until one day he spies someone who looks like him and discovers that perhaps he isn’t the odd penguin out—maybe he’s something else altogether. This uplifting picture book about accepting yourself and celebrating differences is rendered in lush traditional watercolors, with the texture and character of Anna Fernandez’s illustrations adding emotional depth to The Unusual Penguin’s heartwarming message, sure to delight caregivers and reassure their young loved ones who may feel different themselves.

The Unusual Penguin treads some familiar ground, and casting the protagonist’s mom as the narrator of the story diminishes some poignancy, as the (unnamed) “unusual penguin” doesn’t get a chance to tell his own story of self-discovery. But that narration is still full of resonant feeling. “So he watched from the sidelines / getting sadder every day,” the mother declares, as readers see the young bird, now brown, thinner, and wider-winged than a penguin—there’s something heartbreaking in seeing someone whose differences are neither understood nor appreciated by themselves or those around them.

That’s powerfully evolved in the art, especially with a two-page spread of the eyes of the odd bird out, as he glimpses new possibilities in the skies above. Also strong: the expressive faces of the penguins, especially their delicate eyelashes and curved brows, all irresistibly cute even as the young birds themselves mock the protagonist. Topics like self-acceptance and inclusivity will always be vital in children’s literature, and MacRae’s personal interest in this theme (as explained in the author’s note) shines through the text and will certainly be appreciated by other caregivers in similar positions, or anyone who has felt like the odd bird out.

Takeaway: The charming tale of a penguin who just doesn’t fit in.

Comparable Titles: Helen Lester’s Tacky the Penguin, Todd Parr’s Be Who You Are.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A