Mr. Popper’s Penguins
by Richard and Florence Atwater
Citation:
Atwater, R., Atwater, F., & Lawson, R. (1988). Mr. Popper's penguins. Boston:
Little, Brown and Co.
Summary
Mr. Popper’s Penguins is about a poor house painter that loves anything having to do with “the poles” and dreams of visiting one day. He was off of work for the winter. After sending a fan letter to a Polar explorer they are surprised with the gift of a penguin that they name Captain Cook. Taking care of the penguin leads to many funny scenes. When Captain Cook doesn’t seem to be doing well, Mr. Popper talks to an expert at the zoo who also has a penguin that isn’t doing well. They decide that they might be lonely. Once the two penguins are together they are very happy and soon there are many penguins to take care of. After worrying about how they are going to pay for taking care of the penguins, Mr. Popper and his family create an act using the penguin’s own personalities. Finally when they are ready, they end up taking the show on the road. Money is no longer a problem, but keeping the penguins under control is. Then the Polar explorer comes to take the penguins to the North Pole because there aren’t penguins there. Mr. Popper is sad until he finds out they want him to go too!
Impressions
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a fairly quick read for a chapter book. Mr. Popper is a great quirky character and the penguins each have their own little personality. Even though it was written in 1938, it still appeals to today’s audience. Many age groups would enjoy hearing or reading this story. The fact that the family didn’t have very much money didn’t seem to bother them (or at least it didn’t bother Mr. Popper). They still stuck together and did whatever they needed to do as a family.
The illustrations are great and really add to the reading experience. Students that are just beginning to read chapter books or that struggle to read the longer ones, could feel successful when reading this book.
Professional Reviews
Gr. 3-5. Filled with the slapstick comedy and vocabulary (rotogravure, etc.) of the 1930s, this is a story that still makes children chuckle. What could be more fun than a family of penguins that takes over a house and then goes out on the road in a traveling stage show?
Book Links
Marino, J., & Zachary, N. (1999, January). Mr. popper's penguins [Review of the
book by Richard Atwater]. Book Links, 8(29).
***********************
I thought the book was very effective. In my opinion the book was merely to entertain, since it didn't have much of a theme or prevalent idea to get across. In that regard it was a huge success. I was thuroughly entertained when I read this book as a child and I was again entertained when I read this book as an adult. The book was well written and the illustrations were simple yet very effective. What I like about this book is that it doesn't have really any heavy undertones. Many of the books written during this time have racial or sexist undertones that take away from the joy of the book. This book really has none of that. Granted there is the "mother as housewife" image in this story but it isn't sexist because she very obviously wears the pants in the relationship. Overall the book was light, and airy and fun and the lack of deep commentary made it that much more enjoyable.
Children's Literature Book Review
Children’s Literature Book Reviews. (2009). [Review of the book
Mr. Popper's penguins by Richard Atwater] Retrieved from
http://reviews-of childrens literature.pbworks.com/w/page/10581703/Mr%20
Popper's%20Penguins
To introduce the story show the students a picture of a penguin. Have them predict what they think the story might be about. You could even show video of real penguins and how they waddle and slide on their tummies. It is also important to introduce vocabulary from the story. For younger students you could have them act out parts acting like penguins.
References
Boston: Little, Brown and Co.
Children’s Literature Book Reviews. (2009). [Image of book cover]. Retrieved from
http://reviews-of-childrens-
literature.pbworks.com/w/page/10581703/Mr%20Popper's%20Penguins
Children’s Literature Book Reviews. (2009). [Review of the book Mr. Popper's
penguins by Richard Atwater] Retrieved from http://reviews-of
childrens literature.pbworks.com/w/page/10581703/Mr%20Popper's
%20Penguins
Marino, J., & Zachary, N. (1999, January). Mr. popper's penguins [Review of
the book by Richard Atwater]. Book Links, 8(29).
Harold and the Purple Crayon
by Crockett Johnson
Citation:
Johnson, C. (1955). Harold and the purple crayon. New York: Harper & Row.
Summary
Harold and the Purple Crayon is a story about a little boy that uses his
imagination while playing. He uses a purple crayon to draw everything he is
thinking, starting with the moon, and continues adding details. He even “walks
away” and has adventures (all drawn with the crayon). He thinks he is back
home, but discovers that he is actually in a big city! After asking a policeman
where his house is he keeps walking and remembers that the moon is always in
his window of his bedroom. He draws his window, then his bed, and is soon fast
asleep after having a big adventure!
Impressions
I enjoyed reading this book. The way the simple crayon was used to create the pictures and using the imagination of the boy to tell the story was very entertaining. This would be a great book to teach about using imagination. Another point would be that the story was created just by adding more detail to the story. If it had stopped just after the tree and dragon were drawn, it wouldn’t have been such a good story. The fact that the boy even felt a little worried in some parts (scared of the dragon, where was his house) he got himself through and found his way home all using his imagination.
Professional Review
K-Gr. 1. A boy and an apple tree grow old together in both Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree and in Rosenberry's The Growing-Up Tree. In Rosenberry's story, however, the boy does not ultimately destroy the apple tree with his selfish demands. Instead, young Alfred and the tree give to one another until the day they both die. Children will love the idea of a mother planting an apple seed when her boy is a baby, a seed that grows into a tree just the boy's size at age one and produces its first apple when the boy turns five. The tree offers shade, beauty, a place to climb and sit, and many wonderful apples to eat. The boy offers the tree hugs and a bit of pruning and eventually marries his sweetheart "under fluttery drifts of fragrant pink and white apple blossoms." Two more generations frolic under the beloved tree's branches. Rosenberry's watercolors are vibrant, with a slight surrealism that adds a fairy-tale quality to this lovely, satisfying celebration of the cycles of life. -Karin Snelson
The Booklist
Library Uses
Ask students if they like to draw. Then ask them to use their
imagination. Students will close their eyes and picture a dog standing next to
a doghouse. Have students discuss what their dog and doghouse looked like in
their imagination.
Explain that you will be reading a story about a boy that uses his
imagination to draw his adventure. Next give the students a large piece of
paper and a crayon. Allow them to spread out so they are not tempted to look at
each other’s papers. Read the story (without showing the pictures) to them and
have them draw what they think Harold drew. After reading the story let the
students walk around and look at the differences in all of the pictures that
were drawn. Finally, reread the story while showing the students the pictures
and ask them to think about how their pictures are different. It is OK of they
were! We all have a different imagination.
References
Harper Collins. (2016). [Image of book cover]. Retrieved from
http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062427304/harold-and-the-purple-crayon-
lap-edition#
http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062427304/harold-and-the-purple-crayon-
lap-edition#
Johnson, C. (1955). Harold and the
purple crayon. New York: Harper & Row.
Snelson, K. (2004). The growing-up tree [Review of the book Harold and the purple
crayon by Crockett Johnson]. The Booklist, 100(9), 882.
Snelson, K. (2004). The growing-up tree [Review of the book Harold and the purple
crayon by Crockett Johnson]. The Booklist, 100(9), 882.
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