Jonty Gentoo: questions to ask and activities to try
Jonty the little gentoo penguin longs to find his true home at the South Pole, so one night he sneaks out of the zoo. An adventure all the way to Antarctica, with an accidental detour to the North Pole. Winner of the 2025 British Book Award for Children's Illustrated Book of the Year.
What age is Jonty Gentoo for?
Jonty Gentoo is best for ages 3–7.
Jonty Gentoo (Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler)
- Age
- 3-7
- Best for
- Bravery and finding where you belong
Only 50pJonty Gentoo activity sheet3 printable pages: questions to talk about, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the grown-up. Instant PDF.
Just want the questions? Get the free question card ↓
Find the North and South Poles on a globe or map before you read. Talk about how Jonty kept going, and about the place where your child feels most at home.
Is this book right for your child?
- Age
- 3–7 (nursery to Year 2)
- What they'll enjoy
- Jonty the little gentoo penguin longs to find his true home at the South Pole, so one night he sneaks out of the zoo. An adventure all the way to Antarctica, with an accidental detour to the North Pole. Winner of the 2025 British Book Award for Children's Illustrated Book of the Year.
- Helps with
- Bravery and finding where you belong
- Buy or borrow?
- Borrow it from the library first if you can. If your child asks for it again and again, it’s one worth owning, and the questions and activities on this page work best with the book open next to you.
What it helps with
- Feeling you don’t fit in
- Keeping going when things go wrong
- Courage
- Geography: the poles
Comprehension and discussion questions for Jonty Gentoo
Pick two or three, not all of them. “I don’t know” is a fine answer, and you can always come back to it another day.
- “Where did Jonty live at the start?”
- “Why did he want to go to the South Pole?”
- “What went wrong on his journey?”
- “Who helped him along the way?”
- “Where do you feel most at home?”
- “What would you pack for a journey to the South Pole?”
For the full list of questions and more, download the PDF below.
Print these questions: free question card for Jonty Gentoo
All 6 questions for Jonty Gentoo on one printable page, each marked with the reading skill it practises. Enter your email and download it straight away.
Free. We’ll only email you if you tick the box.
5-minute activities to try together
Pole to pole
Find the North and South Poles on a globe or map. Trace Jonty’s journey with your finger, including the wrong turn.
Penguin waddle
Have a penguin race: waddle across the room with a beanbag or soft toy balanced on your feet.
Jonty Gentoo activity sheet: printable worksheet and questions
All the questions and activities above on a ready-to-print activity sheet: questions tagged by reading skill with space to answer, a drawing and writing page with a self-check, and notes for the adult with curriculum links and a 20-minute session plan. Pay by card, PayPal or Payhip and download straight away.
- Page 1, talk about it: questions about the story, each tagged with the reading skill it practises, with space to answer or tick
- Page 2, my favourite part: a drawing box, a sentence starter and a “how did I do?” self-check
- Page 3, notes for the adult: curriculum links, a 20-minute session plan, extension activities, and support and challenge ideas
- Read it togetherEnjoy the story first.
- Ask 2 or 3 questionsFrom the list above, while everyone is calm.
- Print the activity sheetAn activity sheet with questions, a drawing page and notes for you.
Change & New Starts bundle15 activity sheets for books on the same themeThe 15 books:The Rabbit ListenedThe Koala Who CouldA Squash and a SqueezeThe Very Hungry CaterpillarGreen Eggs and HamAlexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DayThe Name JarThe Tiger Who Came to TeaA New House for MouseLulu Gets a CatLuna Loves Library DayOtto the Book BearI'm Going to Make a FriendNoah's New HomeKing of the Classroom£4.99 3 sheets for £1.25Jonty Gentoo + The Rabbit Listened + The Koala Who CouldThe 3 books:Jonty GentooThe Rabbit ListenedThe Koala Who Could£1.25 Pick your own books: build a bundle with this one, up to 15% off →
Priced low on purpose. Every purchase helps keep the book guides, questions and the game free for everyone.
No PayPal account needed. Your download starts straight away. By buying, you agree to this and give up the 14-day right to cancel. Faulty or missing files are always replaced or refunded. Refunds
Use it as a lesson plan
Children can listen to Jonty Gentoo, answer questions about it and give a reason for their ideas, and talk about feeling you don’t fit in.
A 20-minute session for ages 3–7 (nursery to Year 2), for a class, a small group or one child at home.
- Warm up (2 minutes). Show the cover and read the title. Ask: “What do you think this story will be about?”
- Read aloud (6 minutes). Read it all the way through. Tip: Find the North and South Poles on a globe or map before you read. Talk about how Jonty kept going, and about the place where your child feels most at home.
- Talk about it (4 minutes). Pick two or three of the comprehension and discussion questions above. “Where did Jonty live at the start?” works well to start.
- Activity (6 minutes). Do Pole to pole. Find the North and South Poles on a globe or map. Trace Jonty’s journey with your finger, including the wrong turn. Children who finish early can try Penguin waddle.
- Wrap up (2 minutes). Ask each child for one thing they will remember from the story, and why.
Want to go further? The Jonty Gentoo activity sheet has these questions with space to answer, a drawing and writing page, and notes for the adult.
If your child liked this, try
Blue Penguin (Petr Horáček)
- Best for
- Being different and wanting to belong
- Age
- 3-6
Lost and Found (Oliver Jeffers)
- Best for
- Loneliness, and the friendships we don't expect
- Age
- 3-7
The Snail and the Whale (Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler)
- Best for
- Children who feel small, or too little to make a difference
- Age
- 3-6
Search all our books by what's happening →
By the Growing Wise team · Last reviewed: 29 October 2026
Growing Wise offers educational ideas for parents and carers. It is not a substitute for professional medical, developmental or mental-health advice. As an Amazon Associate, Growing Wise earns from qualifying purchases.