Penguin and Pinecone - story retelling

One of my favourite friendship books is about a penguin and a pinecone.

It's a wonderful story about the love between friends.

Penguin and Pinecone

author and illustrator: Salina Yoon

publisher: Bloomsbury USA (2012)

summary  Penguin finds Pinecone, lost in the Antarctic snow.  They play and have fun together, but Pinecone is always cold.  Grandpa Penguin knows that Pinecone cannot survive in Antarctica, but need to go to the forest.  Penguin takes Pinecone back to the forest, makes a nest of pine needles for his friend, and then gently places him in a heart. Penguin heads back to his cold home, always remembering his friend Pinecone.  When he returns to the forest to visit Pinecone, he sees that love is not the only thing that grows.

Penguin and Pincone is a story that just begs to be retold.

First you need a Penguin.  And a Pinecone.  And some red scarfs.

You also need heart-making materials. (Thanks to my friend Maureen from Maureen's StrongStart for this idea.)  We had sticks, rocks, feathers, leaves, pine needle and acorn lids.

It was a bit of a discussion - should be go with "stuff" from nature (which would include shells) or could it only be "nature stuff from a forest".  The forest won. Although some kids really wanted there to be sparkly gems in the forest!

Back to the story

Penguin pulls (on a sled) Pinecone all the way to the the forest, where he builds a soft pine needle nest for his friend.

Then he surrounds Pinecone's nest with a heart of rocks.

We branched out from Penguin's original rocks - sometimes, literally.

Sometimes the nest and heart building is so exhausting, that Penguin just needs to lie down for a little rest. 

wishing you love, friendship and a a nest in which to rest.