L I T E R AT U R E G U I D E
GRADES 4–8
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
N by n
Richard and Florence Atwater
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Written by Linda Ward Beech
Cover design by Vincent Ceci and Jaime Lucero
Interior design by Jaime Lucero
Original cover and interior design by Drew Hires
Interior illustrations by Tony DeLuna
Photo research by Nia Krikellas
Photo Acknowledgments
Cover: From MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS by Richard Atwater. Copyright 1938 by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater;
© renewed 1966 by Florence Atwater, Doris Atwater, and Carroll Atwater Bishop. By permission of Little, Brown and Company.
ISBN 0-590-36645-9
Copyright c 1997 by Scholastic, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
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Table of Contents
BEFORE READING THE BOOK
Summary ........................................................................... 3
Characters .......................................................................... 3
About the Authors .............................................................. 4
Vocabulary ......................................................................... 4
Getting Started .................................................................... 5
EXPLORING THE BOOK
Chapters 1 – 7
Summary and Discussion Questions .................................... 6
Cross-Curricular Activities: Social Studies,
Science, Art ......................................................................... 7
Chapters 8 – 14
Summary and Discussion Questions .................................... 8
Cross-Curricular Activities: Music,
Science, Social Studies ........................................................ 9
Chapters 15 – 20
Summary and Discussion Questions .................................. 10
Cross-Curricular Activities: Writing,
Map Skills, Physical Education .......................................... 11
SUMMARIZING THE BOOK
Putting It All Together ....................................................... 12
Class, Partner, and Individual Projects ................................ 12
Evaluation Ideas ............................................................... 13
STUDENT REPRODUCIBLES
At the South Pole ............................................................. 14
Real and Not So Real ........................................................ 15
Penguin Facts ................................................................... 16
Answers for Worksheets ................................................... 13
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Before Reading the Book
SUMMARY
This is a humorous story about a dreamy house painter named Mr.
Popper. He longs to be an explorer, have adventures, and most of all,
visit the polar regions. One day, in response to a letter about penguins, Mr. Popper receives a penguin from Admiral Drake in the
South Pole. The penguin, named Captain Cook, quickly charms the
Popper family and takes over their home, living mostly in the
refrigerator. Captain Cook is soon joined by another penguin,
Greta, and not long after that, 10 young penguins are hatched.
To pay for their upkeep, the Poppers train their pets to perform an amusing act.
When Popper’s Performing Penguins go on tour, they are a big success, and the penguins become famous. However, one day they end up in the wrong theater and spoil
another act. Mr. Popper and his birds land in jail. But Admiral Drake rescues them
and, even better, takes them to start a new penguin colony at the North Pole.
STORY CHARACTERS
People
Mr. Popper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dreamy house painter
Mrs. Popper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .His wife
Janie Popper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mr. Popper’s daughter
Bill Popper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mr. Popper’s son
Admiral Drake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Famous expedition leader
Service man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Makes changes in Poppers’ refrigerator
Policeman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Investigates penguins
Mrs. Callahan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Poppers’ neighbor
Reporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Writes for Morning Chronicle
Photographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Works for Morning Chronicle
Barber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Former friend of Mr. Popper’s
Veterinarian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Animal doctor who treats Captain Cook
Dr. Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Curator of aquarium
Engineer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Installs freezing plant in Popper home
Mr. Greenbaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Owner of Palace Theater
Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Manager of Palace Theater
Monsieur Duval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tightrope walker
Swen Swenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Owner of seal act
Mr. Klein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Movie maker
Animals
Captain Cook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Penguin sent by Admiral Drake
Greta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Penguin sent by Aquarium
Nelson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Penguin who always loses to Columbus
Columbus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Penguin who spars with Nelson
Louisa, Jenny, Scott, Magellan,
Adelina, Isabella, Ferdinand, Victoria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Other penguin offspring
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Richard Atwater taught classics at the University of Chicago and also wrote a
humorous newspaper column in verse under the name “Riq.” He began work
on Mr. Popper’s Penguins, but became ill and died before the book was finished.
His wife, Florence, completed the story which was published in 1938 and became
a popular classic as well as a Newbery Honor Book.
LITERATURE CONNECTIONS
Other books about the world’s polar regions include:
• Polar Wildlife by Kamini Khanduri
• Life in the Polar Lands by Monica Byles
• Antarctica by Helen Cowcher
• Antarctica by Henry Billings
• The Arctic and Antarctica by Alice Gilbreath
• Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
VOCABULARY
Students may not be familiar with all the words in this book. To prepare the class,
review this list with them before or during their reading. After researching and discussing the meanings, you might have students try one of the following activities:
• Act out these words: pompous, tobogganed, stupor, strut, subdued, promenade,
reclining, spar, prostrate
• Illustrate these words: spectacles, debris, derby, troupers, icebox, rookery
• Use these words in a sentence: expedition, missionary, trilled, reproach, droll,
indulgence, burly, judiciously, haggard, testimonial
calcimine
droll
spar
expedition
indulgence
prostrate
spectacles
unique
troupers
heathen
berth
testimonial
missionary
burly
warrant
debris
judiciously
haggard
pompous
strut
inquisitive
tobogganed
upholstered
icebox
trilled
ventilating
municipal ordinance
belatedly
subdued
rookery
reproach
promenade
customary
derby
boric crystals
tripod
consented
reclining
rotogravure
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GETTING STARTED
You might use one or more of the following ideas to introduce the book to the class:
• Write the year “1938” on the chalkboard. Ask students how long ago that was.
Then have them think of things that have been invented or come into common use
since 1938. Examples include: television, VCRs, fax machines, cellular telephones,
computers, tapes, CDs, copy machines. Tell students that the book they will read
was first published in 1938.
• Cut out a picture of a penguin from a magazine and place it in an envelope. Tell
the class that the contents of the envelope hold a clue to the story. Play a Twenty
Questions game in which students try to guess what is in the envelope by asking
questions answerable by “yes” or “no.”
• Once students see the picture in the envelope, develop a KWL chart about penguins. In the first column, list what students already know or think they know. In
the second column list what students would like to know, and in the last column list
what they learn after reading the book.
• Have students read through the Table of Contents in Mr. Popper’s Penguins and
discuss what the different chapter titles suggest.
Penguins
What We Know
-Penguins are good
swimmers.
What We Want to Know
What We Learned
-Do penguins ever fly?
-What do penguins eat?
-Penguins waddle.
TEACHER
TIP
Tape a large piece of butcher paper to a
wall in the classroom. Add the title “Mr.
Popper’s Penguins” across the top. Invite
students to write their comments about
the story as they read.
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Exploring the Book
CHAPTERS 1-7
WHAT HAPPENS
Mr. Popper’s house-painting season is
over, and he is free to spend his time
reading about his favorite subject, polar
expeditions. One night he is surprised to
hear himself mentioned on a radio broadcast from the Admiral Drake Expedition at
the South Pole. He is even more surprised
when a package containing a penguin
arrives from Admiral Drake the next day.
The Poppers name the bird Captain Cook.
Mr. Popper installs Captain Cook in the
refrigerator, where he happily begins to
build a nest from objects around the
house.
QUESTIONS TO TALK ABOUT
C OMPREHENSION AND R ECALL
1. What does Mr. Popper dream about? (He dreams of traveling, exploring, being
a scientist.)
2. Why does Mr. Popper have a lot of time for dreaming? (He does seasonal
work; he can dream while painting.)
3. Why does Mrs. Popper worry? (The Poppers don’t have much money.)
4. How does Mr. Popper guess what is in the package that arrives? (He’s heard
the sound penguins make before, in the movies.)
5. How does Captain Cook get dinner on his first night with the Poppers? (He eats
the goldfish.)
H IGHER L EVEL T HINKING S KILLS
6. Why doesn’t it seem strange to Mr. Popper that a penguin arrives in the mail?
(He’s interested in penguins; he doesn’t think about anything else.)
7. Why does Mr. Popper have to bribe the service man? (His requests for fixing
the refrigerator are very strange.)
8. Why does Mr. Popper dress the way he does when he takes Captain Cook for a
walk? (He’s strange; he’s associating with the penguin.)
L ITERARY E LEMENTS
9. Humor: When the service man comes to the Poppers’ house, how do the
authors show the absurdity of the story? (He doesn’t know about Captain Cook and
doesn’t understand Mr. Popper’s strange requests. He acts sarcastic, then scared,
when Captain Cook pecks him.)
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P ERSONAL R ESPONSE
10. What would you read if you had a whole winter free?
11. Which part of the story do you think is the funniest so far?
12. How would your family react if you received a penguin in the mail?
CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
SOCIAL STUDIES: A Look at Antarctica
Have students locate Antarctica on a world map or globe. Point out that Antarctica is
an island continent with no permanent human population. The South Pole, the point
where all south latitudinal lines meet, is in the middle of Antarctica. Divide the class
into groups to learn additional facts about this isolated, ice-covered region. Assign
each group a topic such as: the land forms of Antarctica; the weather of Antarctica;
plant and animal life; explorers on Antarctica; the race to the South Pole between
Roald Amundsen and Robert F. Scott; claims by different nations, and tourism on
the continent. Ask each group to prepare a report to share with the class. You might
wish to have students complete the reproducible on page 14 with this assignment.
SCIENCE: Research on Antarctica
Tell students that there are many research stations on Antarctica set up to observe
the climate, Earth’s magnetism, and environmental issues such as the ozone layer
and the greenhouse effect. Have students find out more about the work done at
McMurdo Station, run by the United States.
ART: What a Laugh
Invite students to choose a
funny incident in the story to
illustrate. Some possible
scenes might be: Captain
Cook in the bathtub; Captain
Cook eating the goldfish;
Captain Cook scaring the service man; or the policeman’s
encounter with Captain Cook.
Encourage students to write
captions for their pictures.
Display the finished art
around the classroom.
TEACHER
TIP
Suggest that students consult appropriate issues of National Geographic magazine
as well as books for their Antarctica research.
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CHAPTERS 8 – 14
WHAT HAPPENS
Mr. Popper’s first outing with Captain
Cook results in an angry neighbor and a
run-in with the local press. However,
Captain Cook soon becomes ill and
unhappy at the Popper home, and even
the vet can’t cure him. In despair, Mr.
Popper writes to the curator of an aquarium. The curator’s response is to send
another penguin, Greta. Since the refrigerator is a bit small for two penguins, Mr.
Popper leaves the windows of the house
open so the birds will be comfortable. A large blizzard deposits snow in the Poppers’
living room, providing great fun for the penguins and the Popper children. After that
Mr. Popper has a freezing plant installed in the basement and it is here that 10 more
penguins hatch. The Poppers now have 12 penguins to feed and very little money.
So Mr. Popper decides to train them as a performing act. Not long afterwards, they
go to see Mr. Greenbaum who owns the Palace Theater.
QUESTIONS TO TALK ABOUT
C OMPREHENSION AND R ECALL
1. Why does Captain Cook like to climb stairs? (So he can slide down them.)
2. How do the Poppers get a second penguin? (The curator from the aquarium
sends her because he thinks she is lonely.)
3. What are some of the ways that Janie and Bill enjoy the penguins? (They slide
with them on the living room floor; watch Columbus and Nelson spar; watch them
parade.)
H IGHER L EVEL T HINKING S KILLS
4. Mrs. Callahan doesn’t know that Captain Cook is a penguin. Do you think most
people today would have this response? Why or why not? (Most people would have
seen penguins on television, in videos, movies, or in books and magazines.)
5. Captain Cook is featured in newspaper articles. Why isn’t he on television?
(The book was written in 1938.)
6. Why is it Mrs. Popper who brings the family finances up? (Mr. Popper is a
dreamer; he’s thinking only about the penguins.)
7. Why isn’t Mr. Greenbaum surprised to see the Poppers and their penguin act?
(They’ve been in the news; he books acts for his theaters all the time.)
8. How do the authors take liberty with facts about penguins? (Greta lays 10
eggs; most penguins lay only two a season.)
L ITERARY E LEMENTS
9. Humor: Why do the authors portray Captain Cook with some human characteristics? (It makes the story funnier.)
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P ERSONAL R ESPONSE
10. How do you feel about wild animals as pets?
11. Do you think Mr. Popper’s solution for keeping the penguins cold—leaving the
windows open in November— is a good one? Why or why not?
CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
MUSIC: Music to Move By
Remind students that Mrs. Popper played the “Military March” by Franz Schubert
and “The Merry Widow Waltz” by Franz Lehar for the penguins. Play these pieces
for the class, then lead a discussion about the kind of movement the music suggests.
Ask students to visualize 12 penguins marching or tobogganing to these pieces.
SCIENCE: Amazing Penguins
As students have already learned from the book, penguins are an interesting and
unique kind of bird. Tell students that there are, in fact, numerous species of penguins
ranging from the largest— the emperor penguin —to the small rockhopper. Point out
that the authors don’t say what species of penguin Mr. Popper has. Based on the
illustrations and their research, ask students to make a guess (probably the Adelie).
Have students create and complete a penguin chart similar to the following. You
might also wish to have students complete the reproducible on page 16 at this time.
PENGUINS OF ANTARCTICA
Name
Food
Size
Habitat
SOCIAL STUDIES: What’s in a Name?
Help students recall the names that the Poppers give to their penguins. Challenge
students to match these names—Nelson, Columbus, Jenny, Scott, Magellan, Isabella,
Ferdinand, Victoria— with a famous person in history. Why do students think the
Poppers chose the names they did?
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CHAPTERS 15 – 20
WHAT HAPPENS
The penguins perform in
place of a missing act and
are a huge success. Mr.
Greenbaum gives them a
10-week contract, and they
go on tour. Their act and
their antics soon make
them famous. Despite the
money they are earning, it
is still expensive to travel
with 12 penguins, and by
the time they get to their
last stop, New York, Mr.
Popper is ready to go home.
Unfortunately, he goes to
the wrong theater where
the penguins spoil the act of
some trained seals. Mr. Popper and the penguins are arrested and put in jail. He
keeps hoping that Mr. Greenbaum will arrive and rescue them. Instead, it is Admiral
Drake who shows up. A Mr. Klein also turns up and offers Mr. Popper a lot of money
to make a movie, but he declines. He does agree to let the birds go with Admiral
Drake to the North Pole to try and start a penguin colony there. And in the end, Mr.
Popper sails with them.
QUESTIONS TO TALK ABOUT
C OMPREHENSION AND R ECALL
1. Why does Columbus always win the sparring matches? ( The other penguins
like him to win so they say, “Gook” and Nelson looks the other way, then
Columbus gets him.)
2. Why aren’t other actors pleased to be in the same show as the penguins? (The
penguins always cause trouble and make the audience laugh at them.)
3. Why do the hotels have rules about dogs, but not about penguins? (No one
has ever brought penguins in before.)
4. How does Mr. Popper’s absent-mindedness cause trouble? (They go to the
wrong theater, cause a commotion, anger the manager who has them arrested.)
H IGHER L EVEL T HINKING S KILLS
5. Why is Mrs. Popper used to playing the piano with her gloves on? (Their house
is cold because of the penguins.)
6. Why does Mrs. Popper play delicate music for the noisiest act? (It makes the
act funnier.)
7. Why is Mr. Popper surprised when he has a visitor in jail? (He thinks Mr.
Greenbaum will come, but it is Admiral Drake, back from his expedition.)
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L ITERARY E LEMENTS
8. Characterization: How do the authors show that the Poppers are honest people? (They pay their bills with the first $5000 check; they won’t do ads if the penguins don’t like the food.)
P ERSONAL R ESPONSE
9. What would your decision be—make a movie with the penguins or go to the
North Pole? Why?
10. How do you feel about the ending? Was Mr. Popper right to leave his family
and go to the North Pole?
CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
WRITING: Testimonial
Remind students that one way the Poppers paid for the penguins’ upkeep was to
make testimonials, a kind of ad, in which the penguins were shown using a canned
shrimp product. Discuss with students how testimonials entice people to try a product. Then have students try writing a testimonial for another product that the penguins might help sell.
MAP SKILLS: On Tour
Have students list the different places that the Popper Performing Penguins went on
their tour. Then have them trace the route from city to city on a map. Since a location for Stillwater isn’t
given, students might
Cleveland
use your community
Seattle
as the starting and
Milwaukee
ending place. Other
Boston
Minneapolis
stops include: Seattle,
New
Minneapolis,
Chicago Detroit
York
Milwaukee, Chicago,
Philadelphia
Detroit, Cleveland,
Philadelphia, Boston,
and New York.
A
PHYSICAL EDUCATION: Penguins on Land
Tell students that although penguins spend most of their time in the water or on ice,
they also come ashore. Remind students that although penguins are birds, they
don’t fly. To help students understand how a penguin walks on its short little legs,
have them try this: tie a cloth around their ankles and then walk across the gym.
Point out that the large emperor penguins sway from side to side while the smaller
rockhoppers hop. After students have tried out these penguin walks, discuss why
the birds like to slide on their stomachs so much.
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Summarizing the Book
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Use one or more of the following activities to help students summarize and review
Mr. Popper’s Penguins.
CLASS PROJECT: Paper Penguins
Students can use the penguin pattern on page 13 in retelling the story. Have students trace and cut out two penguin patterns from a large, folded sheet of black construction paper. Students should then cut out a penguin “bib” from white paper and
glue it onto one of the black pattern pieces. Show students how to place the two pattern pieces one on top of the other and staple them along all the edges except the
bottom. Students can then stuff the penguin with newspaper strips before stapling
the bottom edge. Have students cut out flippers, feet, and beaks and add these to the
penguins. Students can draw white circles in chalk for their penguins’ eyes. Use the
finished birds to retell the story to a younger grade.
CLASS PROJECT: Penguin Pictures
Invite students to design and then create a bulletin board display in your classroom
or in a school hallway based on Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Students might include pictures of penguins, Antarctica, their own drawings, maps, charts, and favorite quotations from the story.
PARTNER PROJECT: Setting the Story
Have students work with a partner to create a book commercial for Mr. Popper’s
Penguins. Students might choose to write testimonials or use another advertising
approach. Encourage students to use vocabulary words from the book. Have each
team present its commercial to the class.
INDIVIDUAL PROJECT: Letters from the North Pole
Remind students that Mr. Popper and the penguins sail to the North Pole with
Admiral Drake and expect to be there for a year or two. Have students imagine that
they are Mr. Popper and are writing a letter to Mrs. Popper, Janie, and Bill telling
about how the penguins are getting along in the North Pole. Suggest that students
include factual information about the Arctic as well as fictional descriptions of what
the penguins are doing. Invite students to read aloud their letters to the class.
EVALUATION IDEAS
Ask students to develop a set of rubrics to use in assessing one of the summarizing
projects. For example, a rubric for the book commercial might include these objectives:
• Did the commercial include basic information about the book such as its title,
author, setting, main characters, and a brief description of the story?
• Did the commercial show originality?
• Did the commercial make listeners or readers interested in the book?
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Possible Answers for Worksheets
page 14: 1. Atlantic, Pacific, Indian 2. Check to see that students circle the South
Pole. 3. Ross Ice Shelf 4. Check to see that students draw a penguin and a seal. 5.
South America 6. Weddell Sea
page 15: 1. Fact 2. Fact 3. Fiction 4. Fiction 5. Fact 6. Fiction 7. Fact 8. Fiction 9.
Fiction 10. Fact
page 16: Where they live: Antarctic region; How they build nests: with pebbles and
stones; Foods they eat: seafood and fish; How they check for enemies: push one
penguin into water to see if it’s safe; How they show friendship: bring a pebble; How
they get around: swim, waddle, toboggan; How many eggs they usually lay: usually
hatch 2 large eggs
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Name: ____________________________________________________
At the South Pole
The map shows the continent of
Antarctica. Study the map, then
answer the questions.
Atlantic Ocean
S O U T H
A M E R I C A
Weddell
Sea
Ronne
Ice Shelf
Indian
Ocean
tic
unt
ains
Ro
Shelf
Mo
McMurdo
Amery
Ice Shelf
tarc
South Pole
Amundsen
Sea
_____________________________________
nsan
_____________________________________
Tr a
1. Name the oceans that border Antarctica.
Bellingshausen
Sea
A N TA R C T I C A
Ross Sea
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Pacific
Ocean
N E W
Z E A L A N D
2. Find and circle the South Pole.
3. The McMurdo Station is on Antarctica’s largest ice shelf. What is the ice shelf’s name?
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Penguins and seals live in the waters around Antarctica. Draw one of each on the map.
5. What is the closest continent in the Western Hemisphere to Antarctica?
___________________________________________________________________________________
6. The Transantarctic Mountains stretch from the Ross Sea to what other sea? _____________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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Name: ____________________________________________________
Real and Not So Real
Authors often use both real facts and make-believe ideas when they write fiction. Read these statements
about Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Then write Fact or Fiction next to each.
__________________ 1. Penguins live in Antarctica.
__________________ 2. Many explorers have led
expeditions to the South Pole.
__________________ 3. Captain Cook lived in the Popper’s refrigerator.
__________________ 4. The Poppers let the penguins and their children slide in the snow and ice in their
living room.
__________________ 5. Penguins are very curious.
__________________ 6. Mr. Popper walks his penguin on a leash.
__________________ 7. Companies pay popular performers to endorse their products.
__________________ 8. The police will put mischievous penguins in jail.
__________________ 9. Mr. Popper made an ice rink in his cellar.
__________________10. People find penguins amusing.
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Name: ____________________________________________________
Penguin Facts
What are penguins really like? Fill in the web to show what you have learned about the penguins of
Antarctica. Use books and an encyclopedia if you need more information.
How many
eggs they
usually lay:
Where they live:
___________________
___________________
___________________
_________________
How they
get around:
How they
build nests:
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
How they
show friendship:
Foods they eat:
___________________
___________________
___________________
___________________
How they
check for enemies:
___________________
___________________
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