Classic Penguin Books Logo

This Penguin Books penguin makes a perfect mascot for a book company, in my opinion, in that she is simple and clean in design, but also has an inquisitive look on her face (forgive me for anthropomorphizing, but it's just easier to give things like penguins a gender for the sake of repeated reference; if it would make anyone feel better I could give the Penguin Books penguin a name too, but I thought that might be going a little too far). I think that an inquisitive logo is the best possible logo for a book company, more so than a wise old owl or some such nonsense. I'll tell you why. Because the inquisitive are the ones who do the most reading.
The smart, they do not need to read Penguin Books as much as the inquisitive do, because they already know (except for the smart-mouths and the smarty-pants, because they just think they know, and believe me they are way more annoying than the truly smart). The wise, they're probably (hopefully, anyway) the ones writing the Penguin books. The inquisitive, they are probably the biggest demographic for classic literature and great works of nonfiction (which are some of Penguin Books biggest areas of focus).
Interestingly and not surprisingly enough, it is often the young that are the most inquisitive. Not high school and college kids, they're the smart-mouths. No, often it's just when they are learning or have just learned to read, or perhaps after they get their first library card, just when this whole new world of Penguin books has been opened up to them that kids are most inquisitive (I speak from what I see not from scientific fact; don't sue me if I'm wrong, just smear me all over the web and call it good). I remember learning to read, and I remember reading voraciously ever since. That burning lust for knowledge, for words, for Penguin books in my hands with the sound of the paper and the smell of the binding and the look of the dark words on the light paper, it brings ecstasy.
So I think this penguin is the perfect Penguin Books penguin. She is young and lighthearted enough, inquisitive enough, cute enough, but still clean and mature enough not to be mistaken for a baby toy (a common enough mistake, I'm sure, with book logos). She is standing there, her head turned in incredulity, as if trying to decide whether she wants to stand back and just listen or lean forward and grab the Penguin books out of your hands and devour them herself. She looks as if she can't quite believe what she's hearing, like it's too good to be true. As if a whole new world of words has been opened up to her and she can't quite believe it. I told you she's perfect.