Why Blue Penguin and the Sensational Surf is the Perfect Summer Reading For Kids

Summer is at its peak right now with beautiful weather, sunshine, and plenty of time for relaxation. The end of July and beginning of August is also one of the most popular times for parents to take off from work and take their families on vacation. Family vacations usually entail beach visits, long car rides, and lots of downtime- and you know what is perfect for all three of those things? Reading! 

Blue Penguin and the Sensational Surf is the perfect book for long car rides to get your kids excited for their upcoming vacation. As suggested by the title, Blue Penguin and the Sensational Surf is filled with adventure, action, sun, surfing, and beaches. What better way to get your kids reading and get them pumped up for vacation than that? 

In addition to fun and adventure, the seventh installment of Eileen Wacker’s book series comes with some important lessons too. Blue Penguin is an amazing surfer, but when he starts showing off too much and bragging, there are some unexpected consequences! A new character with a connection to Japanese culture and tradition also introduces kids to some elements of Asian culture that they might not get outside of reading this book. 

A summary of the book:

The animals who call Fujimini Island home are all buzzing with excitement because today is the grand opening of the Fujimini Island Surf School. Many of the animals are eager to learn to surf, and everyone is eager to watch Blue Penguin display the surf skills he is known for. 

The penguins are hard at work getting everything ready for the special occasion, preparing drinks and hanging ribbons to welcome their guests. The time has finally come for the grand opening, and more guests than Blue Penguin expected have shown up to watch and participate. Blue Penguin is proud of his skills and just can’t resist showing off to the crowd. Unfortunately, Blue Penguin is so busy showing off he doesn’t notice that a stranger has arrived on Fujimini Island and one of the animals may be in some trouble! Who is this stranger? And will Blue Penguin stop showing off in time to notice that one of his students is in trouble?

This book is available in print as well as an ebook! 

Click here to learn more about the series or purchase Eileen Wacker’s Blue Penguin and the Sensational Surf

A Review of the "Blue Penguin and the Sensational Surf" DVD featuring George Takei as Blue Penguin

In Eileen Wacker’s seventh installation of the Fujimini Adventure Series, all the beloved animals of the island are buzzing with excitement. It is the grand opening of the new Fujilimini Island Swim and Surf school, and everyone is busy getting ready for the big day. Everything is going great, until news of a Kappa arrival hits the shore. A Kappa is a creature that can be found in Japanese folklore. Another name for the mythical creature is a “river-child”. The potential arrival of a Kappa is worrisome for the occupants of Fujimini Island because they are known for their naughty, mischievous behavior and tricks. However, the Blue Penguin is set out to impress with his surfing skills and does not want anything to get in the way of his perfect plan- including a Kappa- so he ignores the warnings and proceeds with his opening. And, of course, the Kappa does arrive to make some trouble, but the Blue Penguin is too busy showing off to notice. So when Silver Bunny goes missing, all the animals on the island will have to ban together to figure out a solution. 

This book provides humor and demonstrates valuable lessons as well as integrates elements of Asian culture and folklore. The author’s use of a Kappa is not only culturally significant but also very creative and unique, especially when it comes to children’s literature. Not only does the book teach a valuable lesson of the potentially negative effects of being a show-off (in the case of the Blue Penguin), it also demonstrates the value of teamwork, second chances, and peaceful conversation when trying to solve a difficult problem, rather than resorting to anger or violence. 

In addition to the book on paper, you can also bring the story to life through the DVD, featuring George Takei as the voice of the Blue Penguin. The DVD is an excellent way to draw children into the story, through both words and visuals. The voices are fun and fitting for the characters, which makes it even more enjoyable to watch. The use of animated books unites the learning reading provides with the fun pictures and sounds give. Overall, the DVD was extremely well done and an awesome addition to the Fujimini Adventure Series. I would recommend it to anyone looking to encourage a reluctant reader to become more interested in what books can offer. With the new additions of Ebooks and Books on DVD, a whole new window of learning opportunity is opened and hopefully will draw in many more little reading lovers. 

Learn more about the award-winning Fujimini Adventure series.  Purchase the books here