Without You

Where would I be,
what would I do,
without you?
So sings a newborn penguin in this tender tribute to dads the world over. While a mother penguin leaves her mate and newly laid egg to go and feed in the deep blue sea, the father penguin protects the egg by holding it on his feet until it hatches. Father and chick huddle together, braving the Antarctic winter as they wait for the mother's return.

Containing a free CD with a song written and sung by Sarah Weeks, Without You is a soothing narrative ballad that illuminates one of nature's rare and heartwarming role reversals and celebrates the special bond between father and child.

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PreSchool-K-An illustrated song about a baby emperor penguin who waits with his father while his mother hunts for food. This story is told from the chick's point of view, and describes his total dependence on Dad: the refrain is, "Where would I be,/What would I do,/-Without you?" A preface offers information about the behavior and habits of these beautiful birds. While the sweet lyrics are not great poetry ("I feel a little funny inside./My mamma's far away") , they may work better when sung rather than spoken (a "free CD" comes with the book) .The lovely paintings, done in soft blues, greens, and violets touched with silver, show an icy place that can go from fierce to cozy to peaceful. It's refreshing to see a "this is how much I love you" book with a father instead of a mother, and also refreshing to see an active mother and a "mothering" father. Overall, though, both pictures and text lack originality.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Weeks has written more than thirty books for children and teens, including Jumping the Scratch and So B. It, which was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and appeared on the ALA Notable and ALA Best Books for Young Adults list.

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