Mr. Popper’s Penguins (Written by: Richard and Florence Atwater; Illustrated by Robert Lawson)

Middle grade novel, written in 1938, but still loved by children, parents, and teachers today!
The Popper family and their penguins star in this book.
Rating: This is one literature set that my third and fourth grade students LOVED to read and discuss. The penguins are funny, funny, funny!

Short, short summary: Mr. Popper is a house painter, who wishes he could go on more adventures. He admires the explorers of the Poles and reads a lot of books about the expeditions. One night, while listening to the radio, Mr. Popper hears Admiral Drake broadcast from the South Pole, and he mentions Mr. Popper’s name on the air. Mr. Popper had sent Admiral Drake a letter, and so the explorer wants to answer him with a present. The present turns out to be a penguin. From the moment, Captain Cook the penguin, is unpacked, he has adventures at the Poppers’ home. The Poppers order an icebox with ventilating holes, try to get a license to have a penguin as a pet, take Captain Cook for a stroll, and write a letter to Dr. Smith, a curator at the museum to find out what is wrong with Captain Cook. Eventually, Greta, a female penguin who will provide companionship for Captain Cook, comes to live at 432 Proudfoot Avenue, and of course, she lays eggs. Soon the Poppers have 12 penguins and big money troubles. How will Poppers’ penguins help with these problems?

So, what do I do with this book?

1. One activity to use with Mr. Popper’s Penguins is a KWL (Know, Wonder, Learn) chart and combine this with a small research project. Before reading the book, students write down what they know about penguins and discuss it with classmates. In small groups or on their own, students fill out the Wonder column by writing questions they have about penguins. When they finish reading the book, they fill out the Learn column. If the Wonder column has some questions that were not answered by the novel, students can do their own research on the Internet or with a library book to find the answers to the rest of their questions.

2. Students can make their own posters to advertise the Poppers’ penguins performances. You can ask students to use details from their reading to make authentic ads. They can also be modeled after performance ads you may have around your school or community for other entertainment events. Talk to students about what information needs to be on one of these ads to be useful to community members.

3. Mr. Popper has a huge interest in the North and South Pole. He reads books about these places, listens to radio programs, and writes letters to explorers. Ask your students or your child what they are interested in. How do they pursue their hobbies or interests? Have your students write a letter to someone that is connected to their interest or hobby like Mr. Popper wrote to Admiral Drake in the novel.

If you have used this book with your students or in your home, please leave a comment here on how it went or what you did. If you want to read more about children’s books, please check out this great blog: Fuse #8.

If you have a book you would like for me to read or review, please leave a comment here or email me at margodll@aol.com.