Tacky and the Winter Games

by Helen Lester, Lynn Munsinger (Illustrator)

Overview

"A-huff-and-a-puff-and-a-huff-and-a-puff-and-a-huff-and-a-puff" "WHAT'S HAPPENING?" Tacky the penguin wants to know. The Winter Games, that's what's happening. And Tacky and his fellow penguins Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect have to work hard to get in shape so they can represent Team Nice Icy Land in the athletic competitions. After rigorous training, they're ready - but are the games ready for Tacky? Will his antics keep Team Nice Icy Land from winning a medal? From bobsledless racing and ski jumping to speed skating, Tacky lends his unique, exuberant style to each competition. In laugh-out-loud scenes of Tacky and his fellow penguins' athletic debacles, Tacky reminds readers of the underlying joy and enthusiasm that propells athletes to greatness. So get ready to cheer for Team Nice Icy Land and let the games begin!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780618956746
Publisher:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date:	10/29/2007
Series:	Tacky the Penguin Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	38,328
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.14(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger have collaborated on many funny and popular books for children, including the stories starring Tacky the Penguin and Wodney Wat, as well as the new Laugh-Along series. Helen Lester is a full-time writer who makes her home in New York. Lynn Munsinger has lived in Vermont and Connecticut, devoting her time to freelance illustration.

http://www.helenlester.com/

Editorial Reviews

The lovable ice bird returns to compete in Tacky and the Winter Games by Helen Lester, illus. by Lynn Munsinger. Penguins from the Highlands, Lowlands and Funlands take on Team Nice Icy Land (with Tacky as its resourceful team member) to compete for the "Big Winner!" medal. Tacky's unusual tactics may not always fly in bobsledless racing or downhill skiing, but his appetite for fun lands the Nice Ice Land's team in first place. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Training for the winter games is difficult and time consuming. Athletes have to stick to strict schedules and eat a healthy, balanced diet. The penguins of Team Nice Icy Land were training hard for the winter games. All except Tacky, who did not like climbing hills or eating vegetables instead of pizza. And when the team got to the winter games, it was obvious that Tacky was different from the other penguins at the winter games. Each time Tacky tried to help his team, they were disqualified for breaking the rules. Their last chance to win a medal came in the speed-skating relay race. When the baton came to Tacky, instead of racing off with it, he ate it, but still managed to make the best time, earning them the gold medal when x-rays revealed that the baton was in Tacky's stomach. Even though Tacky ruined their chances for any other medals, the other penguins on Team Nice Icy Land decided that Tacky was a pretty decent bird to have around. 2005, Walter Lorraine Books, Ages 5 to 7.
—Danielle Williams

Children's Literature

K-Gr 2-Fans of this endearing penguin won't be disappointed with his latest adventure. Tacky and his friends are training for the Winter Games and when the competition finally arrives, the other animals are worried that he will ruin their chance at a medal. The illustrations are very funny. For instance, on one page the text reads, "They did one hundred sit-ups a day" and the art shows all of the other penguins doing sit-ups while Tacky is sleeping on his mat in the back. On another page, the text reads, "They ate special training meals"; while the other penguins eat spinach, Tacky is shown stuffing his beak with chips, doughnuts, and pizza. Furthermore, the drawings are detailed and full of life. All in all, this is a fresh, lively, and totally engaging read-aloud from start to finish.-Lisa S. Schindler, Bethpage Public Library, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Lester's Tacky is tacky, though he is even more a Society of Oddfellows unto himself, a pleasing misfit among his righteous penguin cohort of Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly and Perfect. Tacky is joyously oblivious of their rectitude as they prepare for the penguin Winter Games, pumping iron and skipping rope as Tacky catches a few zzz's and equips his exer-cycle with a horn and tassels, chows pizza and donuts as the others dutifully swallow their spinach (and Munsinger is perfect here, easily capturing both sniffyness and unbridled appetite). Tacky unintentionally subverts the rules of the Games, winning but losing as officials disqualify his unorthodox stratagems. Finally, his team grabs a victory despite the fact that Tacky ate the baton. A citizen of the deep cold, it's another Frost that Tacky emulates, the one who recommends the road not taken. Tacky, the clueless role model, takes it all the time. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews

"Munsinger's Antarctic animal characters are easy to warm up to, and Lester's energetic story keeps pace with the silliness. Go, Tacky, go!"—Horn Book Horn Book

From the Publisher