"Is that an Angry Penguin in Your Gym Bag?", by Todd Strasser, is the fourth book in the Tardy Boys book series. The story centers around the unusual migration of blue penguins from Australia to the Tardy boys school ice rink. Everyone assumes that this phenomena is due to global warming and the penquins were moving away from their natural habitat in search of cold and ice. The Tardy boys and friends try to learn penguin language to see if they could help save the penquins, only to find that Leyton Tardy miscommunicates, and makes the female penguins fall in love with him and hunt him down. This gets all sorted out with many subplots. The blue penguins from Australia actually do not like cold, and their actual purpose for traveling to the Tardy area was to try to win the audition for the America Super Mega Idol Star Search.

This story has slapstick type humour and is fun to read. It is an example of a story that could be used to reflect the times in which it is written with its involvement in global issues of the day such as global warming, destruction of natural habitat, conflict between those who want to protect animals from endangerment, and those who want to exploit animals for profit. Even issues of American vanity and the crazy appeal of the American Idol show is spoofed to bring a snapshot of American culture in a humourous way. The story is light-hearted, and quick-paced to read. ( )