35 Favorite Penguin Books for Preschool & Toddler Bookshelves

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If you have a penguin-loving child in your life, there are probably a few favorite penguin books on your bookshelf already. But if you’re looking for some new penguin reads, I have a list for you.

Penguin toy on a cozy couch for reading penguin books

Here is a list of our 35 favorite penguin books – from adventure stories to animal science. So whether your child just loves cozy stories before bedtime or wants to know every penguin fact, we’ve got the perfect book for them. Read on for our must-read picks!

Want more penguin ideas? Check out these 50 Hands-On Penguin Activities.

Penguin Book List PDF Version

Family Penguin Books

Little Penguins

By Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Available in: board book & hardcover

Little Penguins introduces simple concepts such as family, before and after, colors, weather, and clothing to readers.

Waiting for Mama

By Gianna Marino

cover of a penguin book titled Waiting for Mama

Available in: hardcover

The title might say mama, but this is a story about the warm safety of penguin papa’s love.

And Tango Makes Three

By Peter Parnell & Justin Richardson, illustrated by Henry Cole

cover of a penguin book titled And Tango Makes Three

Available in: board book, hardcover, & paperback

This award-winning book introduces topics such as adoption and LGBTQ families while highlighting a true story.

Well Done, Mommy Penguin

By Chris Haughton

cover of a penguin book titled Well Done, Mommy Penguin

Available in: hardcover

Haughton’s story about a brave little crab made it onto our ocean book list, but now the author has a penguin book. This story explores the dynamics of penguin parenting.

Love, Mama

By Jeanette Bradley

cover of a penguin book titled Love, Mama

Available in: board book

A sweet book about a parent’s love lasting even while they are away.

Baby Penguins Love Their Mama

By Melissa Guion

cover of a penguin book titled Baby Penguins Love Their Mama

Available in: board book

Follow an exhausted, busy, and committed penguin mama and learn the days of the week.

More Wintery Ideas:

Adventure Penguin Books

Bye, Penguin!

By Seou Lee

cover of a penguin book titled Bye, Penguin

Available in: hardcover

In this (almost!) wordless book, a penguin takes a global journey on some floating ice.

Vampenguin

By Lucy Ruth Cummins

cover of a penguin book titled Vampenguin

Available in: hardcover

Sometimes the pieces fall into place. And we get a book we didn’t know we needed. Please enjoy this story about penguin/vampire crossover shenanigans.

The Penguin Who Was Cold

By Philip Giordano

cover of a penguin book titled The Penguin Who Was Cold

Available in: hardcover

This book has a fantastic changes from the illustrations you’d expect in a penguin storybook. Follow a chilled penguin on a world adventure. I love the bold colors & geometric shapes.  

Little Penguin’s Tale

By Audrey Wood

cover of a penguin book titled Little Penguin's Tale

Available in: paperback

As a fan of Wood’s The Napping House, I was quick to add this book to our penguin list. Follow a penguin on an adventure that’s reminiscent of Where the Wild Things Are.

Noah, Blue, and the Scooter that Flew

By Liz Lockie, illustrated by Nicholas Child

cover of a penguin book titled Noah, Blue, and the Scooter that Flew

Available in: paperback

Follow Noah on his wide, geographical journey to take a penguin back home to their family.

Friendship Penguin Books

Penguin and Pinecone

By Salina Yoon

cover of a penguin book titled Penguin and Pinecone

Available in: hardcover, board book, & paperback

This book is part of a larger penguin-loving series of books. This particular story is about friendship and connecting with nature.

An Old Man and His Penguin: How Dindim Made João Pereira de Souza an Honorary Penguin

By Alayne Kay Christian, illustrated by Milanka Reardon

cover of a penguin book titled The Old Man and His Penguin

Available in: hardcover

This book shares the true story of the bond between a man and a penguin. This is an absolute must-read for teaching about the connections between humans and animals.

Penguin

By Polly Dunbar

cover of a penguin book titled Penguin

Available in: paperback

Silly Ben is doing anything to get a reaction from his new penguin. Then Ben’s imagination really goes wild…

Your Personal Penguin

By Sandra Boynton

cover of a penguin book titled Your Personal Penguin

Available in: board book

You’ll love this sing-songy book based on a song by Davy Jones of the Monkees.

Penguin Books About Identity

The Greatest Showpenguin

By Lucy Freegard

cover of a penguin book titled The Greatest Showpenguin

Available in: hardcover & paperback

This one-of-a-kind penguin story explores what happens when we’re brave enough to share our dreams.

Peanut the Penguin

By Aruna M. Lepore

cover of a penguin book titled Peanut the Penguin

Available in: paperback

A penguin with a beautiful singing voice tries to follow his passion without disturbing his friends.

Social Justice Book Lists

Spike: The Penguin with Rainbow Hair

By Sarah Cullen & Carmen Ellis, illustrated by Zuzana Svobodova

cover of a penguin book titled Spike the Penguin with Rainbow Hair

Available in: hardcover & paperback

This book begins with a silly premise, but packs an important message. Standing out shouldn’t stop you from loving yourself.

Penguin Problems

By Jory John, illustrated by Lane Smith

cover of a penguin book titled Penguin Problems

Available in: hardcover, paperback, & board book

A story about an overly dramatic pessimistic penguin. This penguin can’t find perspective even when surrounded by beauty (and good luck!).

Sidenote: I love the artistic touch of a single page with a fully-black background.

Tacky the Penguin

By Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger

cover of a penguin book titled Tacky the Penguin

Available in: hardcover, paperback, & board book

Everything that makes Tacky unique also makes him a hero. You’ll love this humorous story.

Emotions & Manners Penguin Books

This Book is Upside Down

By Erin Rose Wage, illustrated by Simona Ceccarelli

cover of a penguin book titled This Book is Upside Down

Available in: hardcover

Enjoy this silly book that shows the world from different perspectives. You’ll get to explore the sentiment that every story has two sides.

Penguin Says Please

By Michael Dahl, illustrated by Oriol Vidal

cover of a penguin book titled Penguin Says Please

Available in: board book

Readers can learn all about manners right alongside the main character of this story.

Not Enough Penguins

By Royce Kunze

cover of a penguin book titled Not Enough Penguins

Available in: hardcover & paperback

If one is great, would ten be better? What if we are talking about penguins? The main character of this book is going to find out.

Perfectly Polite Penguins

By Georgiana Deutsch, illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan

cover of a penguin book titled Perfectly Polite Penguins

Available in: hardcover

Spoiler: these penguins are not polite. This story is about the chaos that occurs when penguins give up their manners.

Grumpy Pants

By Claire Messer

cover of a penguin book titled Grumpy Pants

Available in: hardcover & paperback

Honestly, sometimes we just have grumpy bad days.

The Polka-Dotted Penguin

By Amy Moy, illustrated by Rami

cover of a penguin book titled The Polka-Dotted Penguin

Available in: hardcover

A book focused on the importance of inclusion and celebrating differences, told through the story of a polka-dotted penguin.
Take a moment to learn more about the beautiful origin story of this book.

Penguinaut!

By Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Emma Yarlett

cover of a penguin book titled Penguinaut

Available in: hardcover

Stop! I love that this book exists. This penguin puts their mind to something and gets (out-of-this-world) stuff done.

Goodnight, Little Penguin

By Amanda Wood

cover of a penguin book titled Good Night, Little Penguin

Available in: hardcover & paperback (different covers)

This book mixes real photographs of a baby penguin with cheerful illustrations. The story is about a young penguin adjusting to daycare while his parents fish.

Be Brave, Little Penguin

By Giles Andreae, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

cover of a penguin book titled Be Brave, Little Penguin

Available in: hardcover

From the creators of Giraffes Can’t Dance, here is a lovely story about a penguin discovering his courage and confidence.

Penguin Books: Introduction, Facts, & Real Photographs

All About Penguins: Discover Life on Land and in the Sea

By Dylan DeNapoli

cover of a penguin book titled All About Penguins

Available in: hardcover & paperback

If you want to learn all about penguins, this book is for you. It includes penguin facts, charts, and information on the penguin life cycle.

All About Baby Penguins

By Martha E. H. Rustad

cover of a penguin book titled All About Baby Penguins

Available in: hardcover

The only things cuter than penguins are baby penguins. This book features real photographs and easy-to-understand information about baby penguins.

Where’s the Penguin?

By Nosy Crow, illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius

cover of a penguin book titled Where's the Penguin

Available in: board book

An interactive lift-a-flap penguin board book! Readers will love exploring its charming illustrations and felt lift-a-flap surprises.

Penguins Don’t Wear Sweaters!

By Marikka Tamura, illustrated by Daniel Rieley

cover of a penguin book titled Penguins Don't Wear Sweaters

Available in: hardcover & board book

How can humans protect penguins? Adorable sweaters or ocean conservation?

National Geographic Kids: Hello, Penguin

By Kathryn Williams

cover of a penguin book titled Hello, Penguin

Available in: paperback & hardcover

We have a National Geographic book sharing beautiful, high-quality photographs of penguins.

Eco Baby: Where are You Penguin?

By DK

cover of a penguin book titled Where Are You Penguin

Available in: board book

You’ll find simple text in this eco-friendly, plastic-free penguin story. Readers will love exploring the cardboard-based textured elements.

I recommend BookShop.org as an alternative to amazon. Each purchase on BookShop.org supports local and independent bookstores. You can explore my book lists for early learners or search for any books (new and used).

Final Takeaways on Penguin Books for Preschool & Toddlers

  1. Many, many penguin books have the word “little” in the title. What’s that about?
  2. Penguins seem to be the perfect characters to teach social-emotional themes such as family, courage, loving yourself, and friendship.
  3. These books are so stinking adorable.  

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Developmental Therapist

Hello, I'm Alysia (uh-lee-shuh), a developmental therapist for infants and toddlers with a B.S. in early childhood education. As the founder of Well Beings with Alysia, I want to demystify child development for parents and educators. I create resources to nurture children's learning through nature play, books, and play-based activities. Let's explore all the information I wish I'd had during my days as a toddler teacher.

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