The Penguin who was Cold

A poignant and non-didactic exploration of difference, self-acceptance, the power of friendship, and inner strength. Milo is a penguin who, unlike the other penguins, does not like the cold. When he takes a chance and goes on a trip to a faraway place where it’s warm, he finds friends who accept him, and with their support he learns to accept himself. When he returns home, he is even able to befriend others who are different.

The Penguin Who Was Cold is an endearing tale of a young penguin named Milo who does not want to dive into the icy water of the pack ice to catch fish. Unlike his comrades, he stays put, standing alone at the edge of the ice and contemplating the cold sea. When a whale appears and offers to take him on a trip, Milo readily accepts. It is the beginning of a fabulous journey. In the faraway South Seas, Milo is amazed by the colors, the warmth of the water and the air, and most of all the friendly welcome he receives from the tropical animals who accept him for who he is and then give a precious and symbolic gift.

Philip Giordano was born in 1980 in Savona, Italy. After studying art in Milan and Turin, he began working as an illustrator for children’s books and magazines, cartoons, and toy design. He spent six years in Tokyo, partly because of his Asian origins, but also because he has always loved the Japanese culture, particularly the Studio Ghibli animations. Giordano’s picture books have been translated into several languages. He has won multiple awards, including the International Award for Illustration at the Bologna Book Fair in 2010, the 2017 Andersen Prize for the best book for 0–6 year-olds, and Taiwan’s best young readers’ book of the year in 2021.