School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-"It all began with someone lost and someone found.who's to say which was which?" Inspired by an actual news story in which a young Belfast boy kidnapped a baby penguin on a school trip, the book of the same title by Oliver Jeffers (Philomel, 2005) tells of a little penguin that appears at a little boy's door one day. In the film, based on Jeffers's book, the boy who reluctantly receives him assumes that he is lost and can't find his way home. He tries to return the critter to the lost and found, and even considers abandoning him at a pet shop doorstep, but in the end, after researching penguin habitats at the local library, he decides to build a boat and return him to the South Pole. On the way, they weather a tumultuous storm involving overturned boats, rescues, and a giant octopus. Once his charge is delivered, the boy realizes that the persistent bird was never looking for his home, but for a friend. The 3-D animation creates a lifelike miniature world. Realistic sound effects, such as the oars hitting the waves and the gulls shrieking, Jim Broadbent's warm narrative voice, and a beautiful soundtrack combine to create a captivating mini-feature, replete with tension, drama, humor, and heart. The DVD also includes "The Making of a Featurette" in which Jeffers, adapter/director Philip Hunt, and artist Amandine Pecharman talk in fascinating detail about how they made the film. While the feature is suitable for young children, the mini-documentary will appeal to educators or film students.-Barbara Auerbach, P.S. 217, Brooklyn, NY (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.