Module 1: Classic Children's Literature and Authors: Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Summary:
Citation: Atwater, R. and F. (1938). Mr. Popper's Penguins. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co.

My Thoughts: Mr. Popper's Penguins is a classic that continues to be enjoyable for all children. It contains classic high-jinks that are enjoyed by all! The ludicrous nature of the situation lends to the hilarity!

Reviews:

Jennifer (BookHive (www.bookhive.org))

When Mr. Popper receives his first penguin as a gift from the infamous Admiral Drake, his life is changed dramatically. Soon his penguin family grows and Mr. Popper goes to great lengths to make them comfortable, from making an ice rink of his floors, to digging a swimming hole in his basement. However, when these home improvement projects become costly, Mr. Popper takes his penguins on the road to perform. This leads to many humorous adventures on trains, in taxis, and in fancy hotels--all places unaccustomed to serving penguins. The delightful illustrations make the story even more entertaining. Category: Award Books; Humor; Read Aloud. Grade Level: Intermediate (4th-6th grade). 1938, Little Brown & Co.. Ages 9 to 12.

Richard Scott (Children's Literature)

Richard and Florence Atwater’s book is a comical story about a family and their adventures with a penguin named Captain Cook. Mr. Popper, who is a house painter, writes a letter to Admiral Drake. Admiral Drake sends Mr. Popper a penguin. After living with the Popper family for a while, Captain Cook becomes sick and lonely. Luckily, the zoo has a penguin that is sick and lonely too. Captain Cook and his new female companion, Greta, fall in love and are no longer lonely. After a brief period of time, the penguins have babies and the Popper’s have a house full of penguins. When it becomes difficult for Mr. Popper to feed all of the penguins, he decides to put the penguins on stage to perform. After the penguins have been performing for a few weeks, Mr. Popper leads them onto the wrong stage, which lands them all in jail. Admiral Drake returns and makes an offer to the Poppers concerning the penguins. Mr. Popper hates to see the penguins leave but realizes he cannot handle them anymore. The penguins return with Admiral Drake to the North Pole. Atwater takes readers on a wild adventure with Mr. Popper and his penguins, but included in the text are educational facts about penguins--such as how they mate, what they eat and the habitats they are used to living in. Each chapter contains a few black and white illustrations that give the reader just enough images to visualize the story. The Atwaters and Lawson leave the rest up to the reader’s imagination. This is a great story to read to third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders. 1988, Little Brown, $16.95. Ages 8 to 12.

Suggested Uses: Mr. Popper's Penguins is a perfect novel for a Book Club. Extensions are possible with students creating new adventures for Mr. Popper and the penguins. This adventures can be shared in a variety of ways including traditional written forms, electronic forms, and dramatic forms.