Heart-y Reading: My Penguin Osbert in Love by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Right in the middle of the welcome mat I saw a familiar face. It was my penguin Osbert. Santa gave me Osbert for Christmas last year, and Osbert had been living at the zoo.

Apparently he had brought along a few friends.

Joe had found penguin-keeping a bit of a challenge and thought he'd found Osbert a permanent home in Penguin Place at the zoo. But here he is again--obviously on a mission.

Osbert had an invitation tucked under his wing:

ONCE IN A CENTURY SOUTH POLE EXTRAVAGANZA!

PLEASE JOIN US ON FEBRUARY 14 FOR THE CENTENNIAL GATHERING TO WITNESS THE SOUTHERN LIGHTS!

BE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AS THE ANTARCTIC SKY EXPLODES IN A DAZZLING DISPLAY THAT ONLY MOTHER NATURE CAN PROVIDE.

Yours sincerely,
Aurora Australis.

The dutiful Joe is in a time crunch! His mother's annual family Midwinter Bash is scheduled for that very night, but he still feels responsible for Osbert. As he says loyally, "Osbert wanted me to help him get to the South Pole and Osbert was my friend."

Luckily for the flightless penguins, Santa has been very generous with Joe this year, and he has his own personal helicopter all ready for takeoff with Osbert and his tuxedo-togged friends. After a few mistaken landings and a penguin potty break, they arrive at the Antarctic arena just in time to join the assembly to view the Aurora. Osbert, however, has his eyes on more than the skies when he falls totally in love with their hostess, the beauteous Aurora Australis herself.

Will Joe ever round up his lovestruck penguin in time for liftoff back to the Bash back home? It's an ice shelf cliffhanger, but the ever-loyal Joe finds a way to do it all in Elizabeth Cody Kimmel's new Valentine's Day entry, My Penguin Osbert in Love, which follows her popular Christmas story My Penguin Osbert. As in the first book, illustrator H. B. Lewis' charming and soulful portrayal of Joe, Osbert, and the polar landscape are half the fun!