Mr. Popper's Penguins
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 Mr. Popper's Penguins book cover |
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| Author | Richard & Florence Atwater |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Robert Lawson |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Little, Brown Young Readers |
| Released | 1938 |
| Media type | Hardcover, Paperback, Audio Cassette |
| Pages | 139 pp. |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-316-05842-4, ISBN 0-316-05844-0 |
Mr. Popper's Penguins is a children's book written by Richard & Florence Atwater, originally published in 1938. It tells the story of a poor house painter named Mr. Popper and his family, who live in the small town of Stillwater in the 1930s. The Poppers unexpectedly come into possession of twelve Adelie penguins, and something must be done before they eat the Poppers out of house and home. This book is often included in the reading curriculum in grades 2, 3, or 4 of American elementary schools.
Contents |
[edit] Plot Summary
Mr. Popper often wishes that he could travel to far-away lands, but, lacking the money for such trips, he contents himself with reading National Geographic Magazine and listening to radio broadcasts of famous explorers. When the Popper family tunes in to one such broadcast by an Admiral Drake, who is exploring Antarctica, they receive a shock: the Admiral uses his airtime to answer a letter sent by Mr. Popper. Furthermore, he promises Mr. Popper a surprise.
The surprise comes in the form of a penguin, shipped in a large crate directly from Antarctica. The Poppers are delighted, and apparently, so is the penguin, who adjusts to his new habitat quite quickly. Mr. Popper christens the penguin "Captain Cook" (after British explorer James Cook) and cleans out the icebox so that the bird can sleep inside. Captain Cook is initially playful and curious, if not a little mischievous (he eats the family goldfish almost immediately after arriving). As time passes, however, the Poppers find that Captain Cook is growing lethargic and his health is failing. Mr. Popper writes to the curator of a large aquarium, asking for help. The curator replies that the aquarium has a female penguin, Greta, who is exhibiting similar symptoms, and suggests that perhaps the penguins are simply lonely and would benefit from each other's company. Soon after, the Poppers receive their second penguin in the mail.
The pair of penguins are revitalized by one another's presence, but the Poppers are unsure of what to do with them, as they won't both fit in the icebox. Mr. Popper's solution is to simply open the window and let in the cold winter air, but Mrs. Popper is upset at the snow that covers the floor, and the idea obviously won't work once springtime comes. Therefore, the Mr. Popper has a freezing plant installed in the basement, providing a year-round environment for the birds.
Soon enough, Greta begins to lay eggs. A normal penguin lays no more than one or two eggs at a time, but Greta continues laying a new egg every three days, until the total reaches ten. Mr. Popper attributes this to the change in climate the birds have experienced. When the eggs hatch, the Popper family now has a dozen penguins to feed, and there's not enough money to go around. Mr. Popper decides to raise money by training the penguins and featuring them in a show, akin to a circus act. The birds are a hit at the local theater, and soon enough the "Popper's Performing Penguins" are featured throughout the country. At a theater in New York, however, the penguins cause quite a bit of trouble; what's worse, they've accidentally shown up at the wrong theater. The manager of the theater is furious, and has Mr. Popper arrested, along with all twelve of his performing penguins.
Bail is eventually posted for Mr. Popper and the penguins by none other than Admiral Drake, who had heard about Popper's Performing Penguins and had wanted to see the show for himself. After speaking with the admiral, Mr. Popper decides that show business is no life for a penguin, and he agrees to let Drake take all twelve penguins with him on his expedition to the North Pole, where they will be released into the Arctic. (This is not a factual error; the characters are aware that penguins normally live only in the southern hemisphere). The Poppers are sad to see the penguins go, especially Mr. Popper himself -- that is, until Admiral Drake invites Mr. Popper to accompany him on the trip. The Poppers wave goodbye as Mr. Popper and his penguins sail away towards the North Pole.
[edit] Awards
Mr. Popper's Penguins was named a Newbery Honor Book in 1939.
