Richard Atwater (1892–1948)

I was really looking forward to re-reading Mr. Popper’s Penguins; however, as soon as I started reading this delightful book, I realized that I had never read it as a child. Good thing that I was able to make up for that omission now, in late middle age!

House painter Mr. Popper has always longed to be a polar explorer; after a letter to Antarctic explorer Admiral Drake, the admiral ships Mr. Popper a clever Gentoo penguin. The new arrival, dubbed Captain Cook after the English explorer, show more proceeds to change the lives of the Popper family in every way. I completely enjoyed Mr. Popper’s fulfilling his dream and appreciated the long-suffering Mrs. Popper. I believe that, even 70 years later, children would still love this book — and its intelligent, gentle penguins. Surely, they’d envy the Popper children, Janie and Bill, who get to frolic with a flock of penguins!

In 1939, Thimble Summer won the Newbery Award, and Mr. Popper’s Penguins was named a Newbery Honor book. The latter has never been out of print. Please see if you agree with me that the authors of Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Richard and Florence Atwater, were robbed. show less

Representative of a distinct style typical of U.S. children's books from the early to mid 20c: not patronizing, but droll and naturalistic even when treating of frankly fantastic situations like penguins living in a family fridge. Perhaps like Beverly Cleary or the Doctor Doolittle series. Both adults and kids play important roles in the story.

W quite liked it, and asked if there was another. Wondered what happened with the penguins once they reached the North Pole. "Don't you hate it when a show more book ends like that?" show less

A celebration in the absurd. I love children's books because so rarely do you have to question how or why the absurd happens and the logical cause-effect expectations get abandoned. This story is a good exercise in this; no one seems to know what a penguin is (aside from the Poppers and the scientists), all of the family's problems are solved *by* their biggest problem (the penguins), and the law doesn't get involved (for the most part) with an unlicensed person owning non-native wildlife.

Ok, here's what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to talk about how unrealistic the story is or how introducing penguins to the Arctic would make them an invasive species. I'm not going to be so adultish about this book that it should make you roll your eyes at any "hot takes for the internet" over-analysis one might try to make.

What the story is is a whimsical tale that provides some fun moments of watching a man, his family, and a group of penguins be silly. I found the story to be like a show more longer version of a non-rhyming Dr. Seuss book, kind of like Cat In The Hat but Mr. Popper is the Cat - but not evil. There are also elements of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, although Mrs. Popper isn't as insufferable as Walter's wife - although there are some elements of comparison.

Overall, there's not much to say other than to repeat the good-natured whimsy of man is passionate about Antarctic exploration, man receives penguin, man gets more penguins, man teaches penguins to dance, shenanigans abound. As an adult who can think back to enjoying my Dr. Seuss days, it was an ok book. Final Grade - C+ show less