Mr. Popper's Penguins is a 1938 children's novel written by Richard and Florence Atwater, and illustrated by Robert Lawson.
Mr. Popper, a great fan of polar expeditions and explorers in general, one day receives a surprise in the mail from an Admiral he admires: a male Adélie penguin. He promptly dubs him "Captain Cook" and happily settles him into the freezer, but, well... if you give Mr. Popper a penguin...
The book won a Newbery Honor in 1939 and the Young Reader's Choice Award in 1940.
Was made into a very loose film adaptation starring Jim Carrey in 2011.
This work includes the following tropes:
- And the Adventure Continues: At the very end, Mr. Popper and the admiral depart for the Arctic with the penguins, promising to return.
- Emergency Food Supply Animal: When the Poppers begin to run low on food, the possibility of eating one of the penguins comes up, but it's shot down when even Mrs. Popper agrees she wouldn't like it.
- Hey, Let's Put on a Show: The Poppers solve their money problems by teaching the penguins a routine and taking it on the road. It kind of works, but the logistical problems of keeping the penguins cool and fed, and adjusting their family life to a nomadic showbusiness lifestyle, mount and take their toll on the Poppers.
- No Antagonist: There is no actual evil antagonist in this book, as it focuses mainly on the family adapting to the new members.
