The Penguins in Antarctica

We recently bought "Antarctica" for the Little Bear.

The main reason I bought it was the beautiful illustrations and bold colors.I had very little idea about the actual story and did not expect it to be more than a geography/nature book.

We decided to read it at bedtime. The story is about the cold Antarctica and its inhabitants- the penguins, seals and skuas.It explains how the female penguin lays her egg and goes out to sea to feed while the male penguin cares for the egg. The male penguins huddle together to stay warm in the cold winter. Suddenly helicopter whirrs above and the noise frightens them causing them to panic and flee, leaving the eggs behind. The skuas then swoop in and eat the eggs. And this where my sensitive son started crying. As he choked and brushed away his tears, he asked me how the penguins will get more eggs? I explained that the mama penguin will lay more eggs from which babies will come out. Humans need to be more respectful of other animals and be conscious of how their actions affect other animals. Another learning here is about the food chain. Skuas feed on eggs and penguins feed on fish ...the food chain is what feeds everyone on this earth.

This is a wonderful book and has become a family favorite. It is full of valuable lessons and sparks a discussion everytime we read it.

“The land is where our roots are. The children must be taught to feel and live in harmony with the Earth.” ~Maria Montessori