Praise for Penguin Days
2022 Chocolate Lily Award shortlist
2020 Bank Street Best Book selection
2019 CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens selection
2019 Resource Links "Recent Canadian Titles too Good to Miss" selection
"While she faces particular challenges, Lauren's misadventures (dealing with loud relatives, letting calves out of their stall, throwing up on her flower girl dress) could have happened to any girl. Other kids will enjoy reading about them from her point of view. Bender's winsome pencil drawings with gray shading illustrate the story with sensitivity and humor."—Booklist
"As in the first book, Leach gets into Lauren's head, showing how she feels when others laugh at her for reasons she doesn't understand...Linguistic mix-ups play a repeat role, given Lauren's tendency to take things literally; the fact that a 'penguin suit' turns out to be a tuxedo is a major disappointment. But many of the laughs come from Lauren's precise narration: 'It took us two days, eight movies, four chapter books, and three throw-ups to reach Auntie Joss's house.' Black-and-white pencil and digital illustrations should help early-elementary-age readers understand Lauren's emotions and those of the people around her."—The Horn Book Magazine
"Lauren relates her prickly feelings in a believably forthright voice that offers readers welcome insight into her perspective....Another fine and enlightening peek into Lauren's unique, often challenging world that displays her differences but highlights the needs she shares with all children: love, acceptance and friendship."—Kirkus Reviews
"Honest and descriptive...In Penguin Days, Lauren's family learns to accept one another, no matter how challenging a situation might seem."—Foreword Reviews
"Rating E...Penguin Days is a beautifully illustrated, very well written novel for beginning chapter book readers, and is a follow-up to the equally wonderful Slug Days....Lauren's voice is so authentically honest, the storyline is engaging and relevant, and the pace and reading level are perfect for beginning readers to be introduced to the subject of Autism, or to simply embracing differences."—Resource Links
"We rated this book: [5/5 stars]...[A]n excellent story told from the point of view of a young girl who has Autism Spectrum Disorder...The infusion of humor makes this very accessible to all children. Charming illustrations by Rebecca Bender complete this sweet story."—Manhattan Book Review
"Sara Leach's writing is finely crafted as well as highly readable for the intended age group—no small feat— and Lauren's first-person voice is just as compelling as it was in Leach's previous work....Adding to the hilarious escapades in the text are Rebecca Bender's kid-friendly black-and-white illustrations. Penguin Days would make great independent-reading fare for classroom and school libraries as well as additions to units on identity and difference. Highly Recommended."—CM Magazine
"Rating: 5...This is a 'must have' for any library!...I think this is an important book for just about any child; however, if a child is around another child with Autism Spectrum Disorder they would definitely benefit from reading this book. It really explains how these children are feeling and how they process all the events around them. This book is geared for the early elementary level."—Youth Services Book Review
"Penguin Days provides learning of the most important kind, and has an added bonus of sweet humor, age appropriate text, and engaging illustrations. It belongs on the shelf of every library for young readers."—New York Journal of Books
"Overall, this book would make a great springboard for a discussion about feelings and emotions. It presents a wonderful opportunity for children to empathize with the perspectives of others."—Canadian Children's Book News
"With the addition of Rebecca Bender's charming black-and-white illustrations that depict Lauren in all her moods, Penguin Days becomes a story of resiliency and overcoming anxiety and stressful situations for all children, with ASD and not."—CanLit for LittleCanadians
"It's neat to watch Lauren develop here, and conquer new situations, and make new friends. The illustrations are charming, and really bring the story to life....I hope to see more Lauren books."—Canadian Bookworm
"[T]his is a must read for anyone who is looking for a little something different from all the other books out there....read this short tale that will give you a glimpse of what Autism is like for the person who has it and for the people around them."—Lone Tree Reviews
“I feel annoyed reading books like this because I can really feel the pain that Lauren goes through. I have had teachers who didn’t understand me, and behaved very passive aggressively in response to my autism....These books show how many autistic children experience life.”—Disability Rights UK, Aurelia (aged 11)
The first-person narration makes Lauren’s logic clear…”—The Horn Book Magazine
Slug Days wisely presents autism as neither disability nor exceptionalism. It’s a fact that Lauren lives with; it shapes her encounters without necessarily limiting them. At the book’s core lies a wish that anyone can identify with: the need for a friend. This winsome, gentle introduction to differences will be a positive addition to school and home libraries.”—Foreword Magazine
2018-10-28
Lauren, who has autism spectrum disorder, is back for a second outing following Slug Days (2017).
Lauren, her parents, and her baby sister have made the long car trip ("two days, eight movies, four chapter books, and three throw-ups") to get to Auntie Joss' North Dakota farm. Lauren is—very reluctantly—going to be one of three flower girls in her aunt's wedding. A scratchy dress, a little vomit, and an accidental fall into the calves' stall will all get in the way, although Lauren's dislike of new situations and a bad case of stage fright are the biggest challenges. Lauren relates her prickly feelings in a believably forthright voice that offers readers welcome insight into her perspective. Her emerging understanding of facial expressions helps her relate her parents' and teacher's periodic frustrations with her difficulties, yet their occasional annoyance is neatly juxtaposed against her thoughts and feelings. Just when she's feeling the most vulnerable and alone, her cousins find the perfect way to smooth her bumpy path, cementing their role in her life. Bender's soft, gentle illustrations expand and illuminate Lauren's narrative. Plenty of white space and short chapters make this empathetic effort extra accessible to a broad audience. Lauren and her family present white; her cousins, who all have straight, black hair, are biracial, but their ethnicity is unspecified.
Another fine and enlightening peek into Lauren's unique, often challenging world that displays her differences but highlights the needs she shares with all children: love, acceptance and friendship. (Fiction. 5-9)
