Helen Lester facts for kids

Helen Lester (born June 12, 1936) is an American writer who creates fun books for children. She is most famous for her character, Tacky the Penguin, who stars in many of her stories.

Helen Lester was born in Evanston, Illinois. She lived in many different cities across the United States, including New York City and Chicago. Eventually, she settled in Pawling, New York with her husband.

When Helen was a girl, she dreamed of getting married. She never thought about becoming a writer. She became an elementary school teacher. After she got married and had two sons, Helen took a break from teaching. This is when she started writing children's books. Her stories are often inspired by her old second-grade students. They helped her create characters like Tacky the Penguin, Pinkerton the Pig, and Fragility the Hippopotamus.

Helen Lester's first children's book was published in 1979. Her writing career grew from there. She has now published more than two dozen books.

Helen has illustrated a few of her own books. However, Lynn Munsinger has drawn the pictures for most of Helen's books. Helen and Lynn have worked together on over a dozen children's stories.

Besides writing, Helen Lester travels around the country. She visits schools and encourages children to write. She also wrote Author: A True Story (1997). This book is for young writers. It is based on her school visits and how writers edit their work.

Meet Tacky the Penguin!

Tacky the Penguin is a series of children's picture books. Helen Lester wrote them, and Lynn Munsinger drew the pictures. Tacky is a made-up animal character. His unique personality and funny actions make him very popular with young children.

Tacky first appeared in the book Tacky the Penguin. He then starred in nine more books between 1989 and 2015. Some of these books have been printed in Braille. They are also available in Spanish, Swedish, Chinese, and Italian. You can find e-book versions and audiobooks too. A Tacky the Penguin plush toy was even sold in 2000!

What are Tacky's stories about?

In each book, Tacky is loud and playful. This is very different from his sleek and graceful penguin friends. They live in a place called "Nice Icy Land." The stories show that being different is okay. Tacky's friends learn to accept him, and it often helps them.

Lynn Munsinger's drawings show Tacky wearing a Hawaiian shirt with buttons in the wrong places. He also wears a purple plaid bow-tie. All the other penguins look neat in their tuxedo-like feathers. The other penguins sing beautifully together. But Tacky's voice is loud and off-key. His friends don't like Tacky at first. But then they see how his loud, unusual behavior scares away hunters. This saves all of them!

In every book, Tacky's actions might seem messy. But he always means well and ends up helping everyone. This funny and lovable mix makes him a favorite among young readers. These books are great for kids from pre-kindergarten to third grade.

Tacky's Books

• Tacky the Penguin (1988) - Tacky doesn't fit in with his neat friends. But his odd behavior helps when hunters arrive.
• Three Cheers for Tacky (1996) - Tacky adds his own style to his team's routine. This happens at the Penguin Cheering Contest, with surprising results.
• Tacky in Trouble (1997) - Tacky accidentally goes sailboarding. He ends up on a tropical island. There, he meets an elephant who wants to know who Tacky is.
• Tacky and the Emperor (2000) - A group of penguins is waiting for the Emperor to visit. They don't recognize their friend Tacky in the Emperor's clothes.
• Tackylocks and the Three Bears (2004) - Tacky and his friends put on a play for Mrs. Beakly's class. With Tacky in the main role, things don't go as planned.
• Tacky and the Winter Games (2005) - Tacky and his friends train hard for the Winter Games. Tacky's silly actions make their chances of winning seem small.
• Tacky Goes to Camp (2009) - Tacky and his friends go to Camp Whoopihaha. They tell ghost stories around the campfire. They never expect one story to come true.
• Tacky's Christmas (2010) - Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, Perfect, and Tacky have a wonderful Christmas. Tacky's odd behavior saves them from hunters.
• Happy Birdday, Tacky! (2013) - Tacky's friends plan a surprise birthday party for him. They have songs, presents, cake, and ice cream. What could go wrong?
• Tacky and the Haunted Igloo (2015) - Tacky is not very helpful as his friends prepare for Halloween. They turn their igloo into a haunted house. But something truly scary arrives, and only Tacky can chase it away.

Who are the characters?

• Tacky: He is the main penguin character. He is described as a bit clumsy. He is seen as a symbol of being yourself. He is like a modern-day Don Quixote, fighting against everyone being the same.
• Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly, and Perfect: These are Tacky's friends. They are pretty penguins who march in a neat line. They dive gracefully and sing beautiful songs.

Helen Lester's Books

Tacky Series

• Tacky the Penguin (1988)
• Three Cheers for Tacky (1996)
• Tacky in Trouble (1997)
• Tacky and the Emperor (2000)
• Tackylocks and the Three Bears (2004)
• Tacky and the Winter Games (2005)
• Tacky Goes to Camp (2009)
• Tacky’s Christmas (2010)
• Happy Birdday, Tacky! (2013)
• Tacky and the Haunted Igloo (2015)

Other Books

• A Porcupine Named Fluffy (1986)
• Score One for the SLOTHS (1987)
• The Wizard, the Fairy, and the Magic Chicken (1988)
• It Wasn't My Fault (1989)
• Pookins Gets Her Way (1990)
• Me First (1992)
• Wuzzy Takes Off (1995)
• Princess Penelope's Parrot (1996)
• Listen Buddy (1997)
• Author: A True Story (2002)
• Hooway for Wodney Wat (2002)
• Score One for the Sloths (2003)
• Something Might Happen (2003)
• Batter Up Wombat (2006)
• Hurty Feelings (2007)
• The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing (2007)
• Wodney Wat's Wobot (2011)
• All for Me and None for All (2012)
• The Loch Mess Monster (2014)
• Bravo, Bucket Head (2022)