Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Newbery Honor Book)

Description

A classic of American humor, the adventures of a house painter and his brood of high-stepping penguins have delighted children for generations. “Here’s a book to read aloud in groups of every age. There is not an extra or out of place word in the whole story.”–The Horn Book. Newbery Honor Book. More than 60 years have not dated this wonderfully absurd tale–it still makes kids (and parents) laugh out loud. Poor Mr. Popper is not exactly unhappy; he just wishes he had seen something of the world before meeting Mrs. Popper and settling down. Most of all, he wishes he had seen the Poles, and spends his spare time between house-painting jobs reading all about polar explorations. Admiral Drake, in line with Mr. Popper’s fan letter, sends him a penguin; life at 432 Proudfoot Avenue is never the same again. From one penguin living in the icebox, the Popper circle of relatives grows to include 12 penguins, all of whom should be fed. Thus is born “Popper’s Performing Penguins, First Time on Any Stage, Direct from the South Pole.” Their adventures even as on tour are hilarious, with a large number of slapstick moments as the penguins disrupt other acts and invade hotels. Classic chapter-a-night fun. (Ages 5 to 10) –Richard Farr