Papa Penguin

A little boy is waiting for his dad to come home from work to tell him a story, but Dad is late and just about makes it in time. The little boy is a bit annoyed that Dad almost missed story time, so Dad tells him the story of Papa Penguin, an emperor penguin who keeps his baby egg warm, nestled on his feet, for months on his own. Papa Penguin endures great cold and hunger so that he can keep his egg safe and warm while Mummy Penguin goes off to hunt fish for around nine weeks. When the baby hatches, Mummy Penguin comes home and takes over, and it’s Papa Penguin’s turn to go off and hunt.

Both an adorable and educational account of male emperor penguins’ role in the hatching and protection of their young and a fable about parents of young children who may be sharing parental leave, Papa Penguin reminds us of the important jobs of all dads out there in keeping their little ones safe and protected – and that sometimes Daddy may be in charge when Mummy’s working and vice versa. There’s a lovely information spread at the back too about emperor penguin behaviour. Momoko Abe’s brilliantly warm and yet stylish retro toned illustration is a complete pleasure to look at, depicting some gorgeously cute penguins full of personality.