Mr. Popper's Penquins

In Short:

Author(s): Richard and Florence Atwater
Illustrator: Robert Lawson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published in: 1938

I just finished reading this one with my son, who, though not much of a reader himself, is a great listener. He and I both were delighted by this book. It's farfetched and outlandish--perfect reading for kids. At one point, the family opens up all the windows in their house, to keep things chilly enough for their Antarctic guests, which allows snow to come in all night. Of course, Mr. Popper then creates a sheet of ice inside, by hosing water all over the floors. Mothers of the world shudder at the thought of such a mess, while the eyes of children gleam at the thought.

To sum up the story: Mr. Popper has never left the town of his birth, but longs to travel the world. Most especially he wishes to visit the Poles--North and South. He has a particular fascination with penguins. One day, he receives a message from an Antarctic explorer, who sends him a penguin of his very own. And thus the adventures of the Popper family begin. The penguin takes up residence in the refrigerator (where to keep the food?), until they find themselves with two penguins which are preparing to lay an egg, and they end up turning their basement into a mini-south pole to accommodate the hatching of 10 penguin eggs.* Money troubles and (literal) chilling troubles abound, but are solved with a national tour of performing penguins. I'll let you read the end to find out what happens. Wives and mothers will chuckle at the reaction of Mrs. Popper in the last pages.

Mr. Popper's Penguins is pure fun, though my homeschooling heart warms to the great vocabulary and phrasing. The penguin recovers his "customary dignity," after he protests "indignantly" at being put on a leash. The Admiral speaks "judiciously" to Mr. Popper, and Mr. Popper longs to see the "great shining white expanses of ice and snow" of the Poles.

In sum: read this one with your kids!

*Please note: Do not rely on this book for scientific accuracy!