Tacky Goes to Camp

May 18, 2009
Slipshod, overweight penguin Tacky joins his more orderly penguin companions—“Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect”—on a trip to Camp Whoopihaha in his seventh outing. As always, Tacky brings his larger-than-life personality to the excursion: his camping supplies include a television, pizza and roller blades; his “arts and crafts” project is a sprawling, abstract style painting; and he tips the canoe and can’t tell a good scary story. Munsinger’s art adds plenty of humor, up through the finale when Tacky proves his worth. Ages 3–7.

April 1, 2009
PreS-Gr 2-Somehow, the lovable penguin's goofy, clumsy antics always have a way of saving the day for him and his pals, Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect. This addition to the popular series follows the same formula, but Lester's humorous word choices and Munsinger's delightfully silly illustrations keep things fresh. Tacky is off to Camp Whoopihaha, where he unpacks a collection of ridiculous items, sets up a circus tent, and participates in activities in his usual bumbling fashion. His contribution to the campfire scary stories is a dud of a tale called "BEWARE THE BEAR," but when a real bear threatens the campsite that night, it is Tacky whose gluttonous hording of gooey s'mores keeps everyone safe. This is laugh-out-loud material for loyal Tacky fans and an excellent choice for new arrivals in the Nice Icy Land."Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2009
Preschool-G Tacky the penguin is an odd bird, as his ever-bemused but loyal friends would confirm. One summer, the six little penguins attend snowy Camp Whoopihaha, where Tacky doesnt exactly pull his weight in rock climbing or follow the crowd during synchronized swimming. But when a bear threatens the campsite, Tacky and a few dozen smooshed smores save the day. Lesters well-paced, witty tale is sure to please fans of the Tacky series, while the colorful ink-and-wash artwork will have them laughing out loud. A refreshingly different summer-camp story, this is a fine addition to a consistently amusing series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2009
In his funniest adventure yet, Tacky is a happy camper, but of course not a typical one. As Munsinger's always-inviting cartoon art shows, Tacky decides that roughing it involves a television, bunny slippers, and pizza. Lester and Munsinger rely on the same bird-of-a-different-feather formula that informs all the Tacky books, but this one's tighter and less preachy than some of its predecessors.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from May 1, 2009
Tacky the Penguin returns for a seventh adventure, his funniest yet. Tacky is a happy camper, but of course not a typical one, at the Nice Icy Land's summer camp. As Munsinger's always-inviting cartoon art shows, Goodly and the rest of the conformist crew pack the expected camping gear-sleeping bag, flashlight, first-aid kit, etc.-while Tacky decides that roughing it involves a television, bunny slippers, and boxes of pizza. His teetering yellow-striped tent appears to belong more in a ramshackle circus than near the orderly, regulation-army-green tents of his fellow campers. Lester and Munsinger rely on the same bird-of-a-different-feather formula that informs all the Tacky books, but this story is tighter and less preachy than some of its predecessors. And it's nothing short of hilarious to witness Tacky in his bulgy sleeping bag, unknowingly lying atop a huge pile of leftover s'mores that, despite his valiant efforts, "he just...couldn't...quite...finnnnish." In the end, as usual, the lovable slob saves the day, and the campers discover that their best defense against a ravenous, campsite-raiding bear is a s'more-addled penguin.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)