I recently thrifted a copy of this book, mostly because the title and cover were so cute and eye-catching. And now, as I'm snowed in for a week, seemed the perfect time to read a charming little story about a cantankerous old lady heading off to see penguins in Antarctica.

And I was at least somewhat charmed! This isn't a life-changing book, but it's also not a bad one, although there was something slightly off about the tone or the narrative voice that kept coming up for me. At times the emotional age of the book feel much younger than its target audience, I guess? Sometimes the characters behave with a kind of alacrity that struck me as almost middle-grade?

But again, not bad. A solid middle-of-the-road book. Good palate-cleanser material.

I'm going to keep it in mind for library patrons who enjoy gentle fiction with some travel, humor, and animals, but can't abide sexual content, violence, or much strong language.