About the Holiday

I’m excited to be a stop on the blog tour for Zenguin just in time for Penguin Awareness Day! Today’s holiday celebrates these delightfully unique birds, a species in which both females and males share parenting duties, and their tightly knit colonies. The day also raises awareness of the need to protect penguins’ habitats in the face of declining populations. Scientists have found that penguins play a crucial role as indicators of oceanic and polar environmental health and the effects of climate change.

The Penguin Foundation was established on January 20, 2006 in Australia to address ways to support projects that make a positive difference to the environment in general and especially for the penguins and wildlife on and around Phillip Island. In 2020, due to social media attention, Penguin Awareness Day enjoyed a surge in interest. Now the holiday is recognized around the world. To learn more from the World Wildlife Foundation, visit wwf.org.uk. To learn more about Australia’s Penguin Foundation, visit penguinfoundation.org.au.

Thanks to Danna Smith and Workman Kids Publishing for sending me a copy of Zenguin for review!

Zenguin

Written by Danna Smith | Illustrated by Sydney Hanson

Little Penguin had lots of family and friends in his colony and he loved them all, but they were a boisterous bunch—always sledding and splashing and throwing snowballs. Even his little sister, Pip, could be so loud! “All the commotion made Penguin nervous.” His heart would race, and sometimes “he got angry like a fierce Antarctic storm.”

One day weary of it all, he yelled, “‘QUIET!!'” but the squawking simply continued. If only he could feel peaceful and calm like some of his friends. “They called it zen.” Penguin went in search of friends who could help him. He visited Blue Whale, Seal, and Gull. Each one had a different method for finding peace and staying calm. Penguin tried them all and with each one, he felt more relaxed. He felt zen.

One day, Penguin heard Pip cry for help. She had gotten tangled in her knitting. She was flailing and squirming, but this just made her predicament worse. Penguin rushed to help. He “took a deep breath in, and slowly let a long breath out.” He taught Pip how to do it too, and when she became calm, Penguin was able to free her. Pip appreciated her big brother so much that she knitted him a sweater, even weaving in a new name—Zenguin! Penguin thought “it was perfect!”

Following the story, readers find four easy mindfulness activities that children can do to recover internal peace when they feel nervous or anxious, or when strong emotions unsettle them.

Danna Smith engages little ones with simple language and sweet storytelling which acknowledges that even the youngest children feel the pressures and stresses of busy lives and raucous surroundings. While young children may not have the vocabulary to discuss their feelings, with Zenguin Smith gives kids and adults a way to recognize and talk about anxiety, nervousness, anger, and other emotions that interfere with enjoying life to its fullest. Smith then goes further by presenting mindfulness activities that are easy for kids to learn and perform to find inner peace both on the spot or as part of a regular calming routine.

Sydney Hanson’s adorable Penguin, Pip, and all of her other sea creatures invite children to Antarctica where, despite the snow and ice, warm friendships abide. Hanson cleverly fills her lovely, tranquil pages with “squawks” and “pips,” “thwacks” and “thumps,” and “screees” and “wheeees” that young and adult readers can have fun reading aloud to replicate just how loud Penguin’s noisy colony could be. Like Smith’s text, this also gives kids a chance to talk situations that bother them. Little ones will love copying Penguin’s moves as he learns techniques for finding peace and calm, and Penguin and Pip’s loving sibling relationship will endear this pair to all readers.

The length of the book is perfect for pulling off the shelf to calm a child who is experiencing strong emotions. It will also become a favorite recurring read aloud to reassurance children that they can have control over their reactions to situations they may find difficult. Zenguin would make an impactful addition to any home bookshelf and is highly recommended for school and public library collections.

Ages 3 – 6

Workman Kids, 2026 | ISBN 978-1523528660

Penguin Awareness Day Activity

Zenguin Activity Pages

Kids will enjoy slowing down and entering the zen zone with these three activity pages that invite them to color and solve a puzzle with Penguin, Pip, and their friends. You can find a Zenguin and Pip Maze, Zenguin and Friends Coloring Page, Zenguin and Pip Coloring Page, Tips on creating a Personal Zen Space, and defined Zen-Related Words and Concepts on Danna Smith’s website!