Week One: Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
Book Summary:
Mr. Popper paints houses for a living but has little to do during the winter when there is no work until a letter he had written to Admiral Drake in the South Pole causes a chain reaction that changes his life. First Admiral Drake sends a message to Mr. Popper telling him to “Watch for a surprise” (Atwater & Atwater, 1939. p. 14). Of course, the surprise is a live penguin, which Mr. Popper eventually sets up in a refrigerator apartment to keep him cold. Eventually a second penguin is added into the mix, and they produce many more baby penguins than ever could be hatched in the wild. Mr. Popper and his family teach the penguins tricks in their frozen basement then go on the road as a traveling act before Mr. Popper finally gets to meet his hero, Admiral Drake.
APA Reference:
Atwater, R. & Atwater, F. (1938). Mr. Popper’s Penguins. New York, NY: Little Brown and Company.
My Impressions:
As I read Mr. Popper’s Penguins, I could see why this is one of the stories that has stuck around for so many decades. It is a quick read and overall a good silly story. I also can see why this was recently turned into a movie, and now I actually want to see it to see how some of the scenes play out. I am especially interested to see if the scene where the traveling Popper’s Performing Penguins, meet up with Swenson’s Seals turns into penguins wearing fireman’s hats and seals wearing police caps. This was the most humorous scene to me in the book, although it caused Mr. Popper and his penguins to be jailed for disruption and trespassing.
Even though this book is quite dated, most of the story is still respectable. The only part I really questioned is the ending. Mr. Popper is asked by Admiral Drake to accompany his penguins to the North Pole, and as he tells his wife while the ship is leaving. She tells him she will miss him, but it will be easier to keep the house clean and the children just wave good-bye. Even if Mr. Popper is an eccentric individual, I would think his family would care a little more about him leaving so suddenly for such a long time.
Professional Reviews:
“If you're looking for a classic, read Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. Poor Mr. Popper has always dreamed of traveling to the Antarctic. He writes a letter to the famous Admiral Drake, who in return sends him a male penguin. Soon after, the admiral sends a female penguin, and the two penguins have 10 babies! How will the Poppers support their penguin family?”
Mr. Popper's Penguins [Review of the book Mr. Popper's Penguins by R. Atwater & F. Atwater]. Scholastic News -- Edition 4
[serial online]. January 25, 2010;72(13):7. Retrieved from http://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/
“The work of children's book illustrator and writer Robert Lawson, the creator of Ben Franklin's “good mouse” Amos and Mr. Popper's Penguins, remains timeless in many respects. Lawson, who was born in New York in 1892, illustrated 20 of his own books and 40 books written by other authors. His illustrations have been criticized for their social attitudes and their stereotyping of minorities, but Lawson was a master at capturing the feelings of other authors and translating the spirit of their words into pictures that not only illustrated but informed and amplified the texts. He delighted in using the perspective of animals to gently satirize human pretensions while praising their noble qualities.”
Cart, M. (1988). Ben, Mr. Popper and the rabbits: remembering Robert Lawson [Abstract]. New York Times Book Review,
9359. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/pages/books/review/index.html
Library Uses:
Mr. Popper’s Penguins could be read as a class or as a school book club for middle and upper elementary school students. After reading the book, students could be rewarded with a family movie night where the entire school is invited to watch the new movie.
No comments:
Post a Comment