Eddie Pipper by Janeen Brian

New Frontier, 2012. ISBN 9781921928215.
(Age: 7+) The somewhat forgetful Eddie Pipper loves penguins and is desperate to own a real one. Unfortunately, he has not yet been able to demonstrate that he is capable of taking care of his sister or to organise himself with bus tickets and the like. Because his parents feel he is incapable of caring for an animal of any kind, he endeavours to make his own papier-mache version of a penguin. Even then, his task is not without its problems. Taking it to school for pet day could also be filled with its own set of issues... how will it be received by his class mates?
Released as part of the Little Rockets series for children aged seven and up, this title is a gentle and easy read. With much emphasis on penguins and Eddie's love of them, there is enough information about the animals to keep younger readers interested. With the introduction of the dog, readers can only guess at the ending and hope that Eddie will realise his dream of having a pet. This is aimed at newly independent readers and, with the double spaced text and coloured illustrations interspersed throughout, would seem to cater well for the target audience.
If this were to be used as a class read aloud with younger children, it could perhaps highlight themes such as personal responsibility, organisation and pet care.
Jo Schenkel