I was thrilled when I heard there was a sequel to Away with the Penguins by Hazel Prior. Her first book really resonated with me as such a feel good and charming read. Her sequel did not disappoint and I was eager to catch up with 87 Year old Veronica McCreedy , her grandson Patrick, Terry and all the crew. We get to know our favourite characters in a little more depth and there are some touching moments when Daisy meets her new best friend Petra.
There is a gentle environmenal theme reminding us how we as individuals, can contribute or interfere with our beautiful planet.

"It takes four hundred and fifty years for plastic to fully decompose"

'At the age of eighty-seven you would have thought I'd learned all I was going to learn'
'Not at all ,my dear Veronica,' he replies.
'And you won't have done by the time you're ninety either'

If you liked Away with the Penguins you will also love this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Call of the Penguins in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful read….. this is the second book about Veronica and the penguins, although I’ve not read the first one, this book can be read as a stand-alone as the characters and their backgrounds are well written. A joy from start to finish. You will fall in love with penguins and hopefully synopsis and think about your use of plastic and it’s devastating impact on the environment.

Another beautiful book by Hazel Prior. Following on shortly from Away with the Penguins the story continues with the characters lives. Beautifully written and much more insight into the characters. I really, really enjoyed it.

I loved Away with the Penguins and was delighted to read the sequel. Although not essential to have read the previous book, it makes the sequel come alive that little bit more. It is a thoughtful book, lots of new facts about different penguin breeds but written with charm. There are new locations as well as Antarctica; Australia, Falkland Isles, Canada, all beautifully described. It is a gentle plea for conservation,, touching on the effects of plastic to wildlife even thousands of miles from civilization. The story is a continuation of the lives of characters introduced in the previous book with wonderful Veronica and her grandson Patrick. This time she is off on her travels again at 87, to take part in a documentary about Penguins, headed by a famous naturalist. There is drama, humour and as well as Pip the penguin there are some hew charmers as well. I was captivated - and moved at times. Loved it!

This was a great sequel to Hazel Prior's previous book which had some very timely environmental messages that were delivered in a sensitive way and not overdone. Learning about different kinds of penguins was interesting and very cute! I particularly enjoyed exploring the different locations, from the Scottish Islands, to Vancouver and the Falkland Islands – great armchair travel for our current times. An unusual and entertaining read with lots of depth.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Call of the Penguins in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book & in my opinion this was a fitting sequel. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this book

I loved reading Away with the Penguins last year, and was thrilled to hear that a sequel was on the way. I was very excited when the invitation arrived directly from the publisher for me to read and review Call of the Penguins.

Then I had a moment when I was worried that it wouldn't be / couldn't be as good as the original. Should I start reading it or should I wait to see other reviews first. It is only a week since the book arrived on my kindle, so you can see that I got over my wobble and headed back to meet Veronica.

The story started a few months after Away with the Penguins, and slowly we were reintroduced to all the main characters. Within a few pages, it felt as if this was just a continuation of the first book, no major changes in writing style, full of penguin facts and news, Pip and Veronica.

I'm pleased to say that my concerns quickly dissipated and I settled back to enjoy spending time with the humans and the penguins. Patrick and Veronica start to discover more about Enzo, the long lost father / son who was missing from their lives.

This is another lovely book with reminders about being kind, being honest and being environmentally friendly. I'm happy to recommend this book.

Last year I read Away With the Penguins, a book which I found to be utterly charming and unique. When I got an email from the publishers offering me an advance electronic copy of the sequel Call of the Penguins, I jumped at the chance and it went straight to the top of my reading pile.

Whilst you don’t necessarily need to read Away With the Penguins first, I think it will make the sequel a far more enjoyable experience. Call of the Penguins continues in Scotland with 87 year old Veronica, her housekeeper, and Daisy, a young girl recovering from chemo.

Veronica is invited to co-present a tv programme about penguins. Eager for another adventure, she heads off to Australia and The Falkland Islands, whilst Patrick, Terry, and the team continue their work in Antarctica.

I won’t give any spoilers about the plot, but the story contains beautiful descriptions of the wild in Scotland, Antarctica, Australia, and The Falklands. It is filled with fascinating factual information about penguins, the environment, and the damage that humans are having upon it, whilst having a fictional storyline running through where we discover more about past lives.

Once again, Hazel Prior has created a fascinating and magical story. Call of the Penguins is a heartwarming, emotional read with an extremely important environmental message.

I look forward to seeing a copy of the final result which will include some no doubt beautiful illustrations.

Preorder for release in November 2021

Thanks to

@penguinrandomhouse @netgalleyuk @hazelpriorbooks

Call of the Penguins by Hazel Prior is the sequel to her book Away With The Penguins.
Veronica is delighted to receive a request to appear in a wildlife documentary about Penguins and now at the age of 87 years she is ready for a new adventure.
I read this book immediately after finishing the first book about Veronica and the Penguins. I was totally engrossed in both these books and I’m hoping that Hazel Prior will write more stories about the characters of Veronica, Patrick, Terry and Daisy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Call of the Penguins by Hazel Prior
Another great book . Away with the Penguins was her first . I read that one , and think you could get away by not reading it , but you would honestly be missing out if you don't .
We return to Veronica McCreedy, a very rich elderly Scottish woman with a great love of penguins.
It also follows her newly found adult grandson Patrick and his girlfriend Terry who are also caring for them.
It is another delightful tale of eccentric Veronica , who is slightly absent minded as you would expect a woman of her years , although she is far away from just sitting at a fireside with her knitting.



delightfully feel-good new novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of Away With the Penguins - sure to become a firm favourite with readers!

At eighty-seven, Veronica McCreedy thinks her days of travelling the world are behind her. But when she's invited to take part in a TV nature documentary that will take her across the globe filming her beloved penguins, she leaps at the prospect of a new adventure . . .

I am absolutely gutted to report that I was left feeling a little disappointed with this as a sequel. I adored the first book but I dont see that this added any value to the original story. Also wouldn't recommend this as a standalone as I was struggling to pick up where the last one left off.
Some good moments, and of course I still love Veronica. Just greedily expected more.

With grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion
Oh my giddy aunt was just fabulous being back with Veronica what a lady, sitting back and enjoy the ride of your life fantastic book.