Mr. Popper's Penguins

“‘Shall we have beans every day?’ asked Janie and Bill, coming in from play.”

Mr. Popper is an industrious worker; however, no one in the city of Stillwell has any painting or decorating in their house from the end of September until the arrival of spring. He is very pleased at the prospect of having several months without work, as this will afford him the opportunity to read books about Polar expeditions. Mrs. Popper, who is a more practical personality, is concerned about the financial aspect of her husband’s long respite from work. She has saved a little money, but she tells the family that there will be no beef or ice cream for dinners. When the children ask whether they will eat beans, traditionally considered an economical meal, their mother replies, “I’m afraid so” (5).

“He did not see how he could possibly wait to find out what the Admiral meant.”

Mr. Popper is thrilled when his hero, Admiral Drake, contacts him by radio directly from the Antarctic. The Admiral was very impressed by the letter that Mr. Popper had sent him complimenting the photos of the last Antarctic expedition. He tells Mr. Popper to wait for a response, but says that it will be a surprise. The housepainter is overcome with anticipation and curiosity. He wishes that he were able to work that day in order to be distracted by painting and wallpapering local houses, but his work season has ended for the winter. His conversation with the Admiral was quite brief, so Mr. Popper has no idea what to expect by way of a surprise.

“‘He certainly is cute,’ she said. ‘I guess I’ll have to forgive him for biting my ankle.’”

Mrs. Popper is portrayed as endlessly pragmatic and somewhat humorless prior to this chapter. Her introduction to Captain Cook is marred when he pecks at her ankle while investigating who she is; however, the penguin wins her heart when he looks at her pleadingly. He seems to recognize that she is, at heart, maternal—and a likely source of food. Although Mrs. Popper disciplines the bird by spanking when he eats the family’s goldfish, she is enchanted by his winning personality and the fact that he is a clean, tidy bird.

‘‘Oh, I guess we can get another icebox for the food,’ said Mr. Popper.”

Mr. Popper is a kind and devoted husband and father. He is also an otherworldly, artistic dreamer who frequently neglects to consider the practical repercussions of his decisions. In this sense, the consistently pragmatic Mrs. Popper is an excellent spouse for him; she never fails to analyze the real-life consequences of his actions. When Mr. Popper announces that he will allow the penguin to live in the family’s refrigerator to afford him access to familiar, cold temperatures, his wife questions him as to where their food will be stored. Even though he is unemployed during the winter and money must be budgeted carefully, he announces that they will purchase a second icebox.

“Captain Cook was in the children’s room, watching Janie and Bill put together a jigsaw puzzle on the floor.”

The penguin, Captain Cook, is treated as more than a family pet. The authors present him as an animal with decidedly human qualities; for example, he looks pleadingly at Mrs. Popper when he is hungry, and he expresses joy when allowed to inspect the contents of the family’s refrigerator. Similarly, Mrs. Popper initiates the practice of “training” the bird when she spanks his head after he eats the children’s pet goldfish. He is described as watching Bill and Janie patiently as they assemble a jigsaw puzzle. In this sense, in addition to the care devoted to the animal’s comfort and well-being by Mr. and Mrs. Popper, the character of the penguin is treated almost as another child in the family.

“He was pretty sure that Mrs. Popper would be annoyed at him for spending all that money, but it could not be helped.”

The issue of the amount of money needed to care for more penguins is raised in this section. The authors foreshadow the eventual problem of finances by mentioning Mrs. Popper making a trip to the market to buy canned shrimp, a luxury that the family would not have eaten themselves, to feed Captain Cook. Mr. Popper, a creative genius, envisions the repurposing of an existing appliance to house the penguin by customizing the family refrigerator. When he spends his last $5 to pay the somewhat cynical serviceman to drill air holes and install an interior handle on the icebox, he experiences guilt when envisioning his wife’s reaction.

“‘I won’t,’ said the policeman, ‘unless I have to.’”

When the terrified refrigerator serviceman flees the Popper house after seeing Captain Cook, he advises a policeman that he must investigate the family’s pet. The officer expects to see a ferocious animal, but a penguin greets him instead. Nonetheless, the exotic creature frightens him. When Mr. Popper politely invites the officer to enter the family home, he declines. Subsequently, the policeman realizes that Captain Cook is merely a large bird, and that he is unlikely to cause harm to any of Stillwater’s residents.

"He did indeed look a little like a penguin.”

Prior to this time, Mr. Popper’s physical appearance and grooming are consistent with his artistic, easily distracted personality. Mrs. Popper frequently reminds him of the need to be tidy, and he often returns home from his housepainter job covered with paint and wallpaper paste. As Captain Cook’s influence upon his owner increases, Mr. Popper appears in the kitchen dressed in a black, long-tailed tuxedo jacket and a white shirt and pants. His outfit imitates Captain Cook’s natural coloring of a white chest and abdomen surrounded by black wings and back feathers.

“He tied one end of the clothesline to the penguin’s fat throat and the other to his own wrist.”

Mr. Popper makes every effort and sacrifice to make Captain Cook happy and comfortable. He treats him almost as a member of the family, or a very beloved pet. When Mr. Popper brings the bird out for a walk, he tries to train the animal to walk on a leash as a dog would. Captain Cook is unhappy with this arrangement. He appears to comply with the leash for a while, but he ultimately reverts to his typically exuberant behavior and pulls Mr. Popper behind as he toboggans down a flight of stairs.

“‘Any door,’ said the barber, ‘as long as it’s quick. Now it’s biting the teeth off my combs.’”

When Mr. Popper attempts to walk his penguin on a leash, he expects the bird to behave like a well-trained dog. He neglects to consider the fact that the penguin has lived in the wild until relatively recently. The bird is curious and energetic. He investigates the world by pecking at unknown objects to learn more about them. In this case, his inquisitiveness causes a customer to flee from the barber shop and results in the barber having the teeth bitten off his hair combs. Although the barber is a friend of Mr. Popper’s, he demands that both he and the penguin depart immediately.

“I suppose, being a bird, and one that can’t fly, you have to go up in the air somehow, so you like to climb stairs.”

After his expulsion from the barbershop, the penguin makes the marvelous discovery of a three flight rear staircase. Inquisitive and energetic, he wants to climb to the top of the stairs. Mr. Popper, who is endlessly understanding of the bird’s behavior, realizes that a flightless bird might have an interest in ascending heights by walking up stairs. He indulges Captain Cook’s wish and ascends the stairs with him.

“‘Better leave him alone, children,’ said Mrs. Popper. ‘He feels mopey, I guess.’”

Although Captain Cook provides a source of amusement and companionship for Mr. Popper, the strain of living in unnatural circumstances takes a toll on the animal. He loses his playful disposition, snaps at one of the children, and refuses to eat. Mrs. Popper perceives the animal as “mopey,” but Captain Cook is suffering the impact of loneliness and the deprivation of the companionship of his own species.

“At the South Pole that’s the way a penguin shows its friendship, only it uses a stone instead of a checker.”

The authors cleverly weave educational information about penguins into the text. In this case, Captain Cook hands Mr. Popper a game piece that he used to build a nest in the icebox when the stones that would have been used in the Antarctic are unavailable to him. Mr. Popper explains to his wife that penguins in the South Pole sustain relationships by giving the gift of a stone; Captain Cook has cleverly substituted a checker for this purpose. Mr. Popper believes that his pet is expressing gratitude for the life-saving arrival of Greta, the penguin.

“Then Mr. Popper moved all the furniture in the living room to one side, so that the penguins and the children would have plenty of room for real sliding.”

Mr. Popper is a loving husband and father, but he is truly a child at heart. He re-arranges the entire family home to give the penguin pair a place to play happily in the freezing temperature of the living room. When he sees how pleased they are, he transforms the floor into a skating rink. The children play along with the birds, and he tells his wife that they have “never been so rosy” (73).

“Then he had the furnace taken out and moved upstairs to the living room.”

Mr. Popper tries to assure the welfare of Captain Cook and Greta, and appease Mrs. Popper, by moving the furnace to the upstairs living room. This allows the family to be warm and eliminates their need to wear hats and coats in the house, while providing a cold place for the birds to live. While Mrs. Popper has more conventional concerns about the appearance of the living room, her husband sees the house in more utilitarian terms and is pleased that he has solved the problem of providing appropriate temperatures for all of its inhabitants.

“The live fish were specially ordered and were brought all the way from the coast in tank cars and glass boxes to 432 Proudfoot Avenue.”

Mr. Popper spares no expense in his attempts to create a healthy, happy environment for his penguins. He is becoming increasingly aware of the artificiality of their environment in Stillwater, and he strives to compensate for it. After renovating the cellar into a freezing plant and creating an ice rink, Mr. Popper digs a pond in the basement. He stocks it with live fish from time to time so that the penguins have a change from their usual diet of canned shrimp; unfortunately, the live fish are extremely expensive.

“It was quite a sight to see them, after Mr. Popper had the idea of training Louisa to hold a small American flag in her beak while she proudly led the solemn parades.”

The authors use foreshadowing to indicate that the penguins will eventually become a source of income for the Poppers. The birds enjoy marching back and forth on the ice rink. Louisa, in particular, likes to lead the other penguins in these drills. As the story progresses, Mr. Popper’s idea to train the penguins to perform in shows builds on their natural inclination for marching, sliding, and climbing.

“‘Well, I don’t suppose I really could enjoy eating them, especially Greta and Isabella,’ said Mrs. Popper.”

Mrs. Popper, a very down-to-earth woman, is concerned because the family has almost no money left. She tells her husband that if they run out of funds entirely, they may have to eat the penguins. Mr. Popper replies that she is not really serious about this statement. She says that she would not like to eat the birds, particularly Greta and Isabella.

“‘Do I pay half-fare for the birds, or do they go free?’ asked Mr. Popper.”

When Mr. Popper hears that the owner of a chain of theaters is in town, he decides to bring the penguins to audition for him. The Popper family and the dozen penguins travel downtown by bus. They climb on board before the shocked driver can react. Mr. Popper asks whether the birds can ride free, as an infant would, or for half-fare, as in the case of a young child. In this way, Mr. Popper regards his penguin brood as an extension of his human family.

“Is that all right, Mamma?”

Mr. Greenbaum, the theater owner, is very happy with the penguins’ performance. He encourages the Popper family and their pets to tour the country performing at his theaters. The terms of the contract will pay the family $5,000 a week for 10 weeks. Before accepting the offer, Mr. Popper asks his wife, who handles the family finances, if the offer is acceptable; she agrees that it is.

“Then Mrs. Popper had to scrub and polish and straighten the whole place, for she was much too good a housekeeper to leave everything at sixes and sevens while the Poppers were away.”

The Popper household has been the scene of joyous chaos since the penguins’ arrival. The family refrigerator was used as a rookery until Mr. Popper installed the freezing unit in the cellar, and snow accumulated on the floors of the house when he left the windows open so that the penguins would not overheat. Mrs. Popper, who frequently mentions how important it is to be tidy, cannot leave for the theater tour with the penguins until she has cleaned the entire house. (The phrase “at sixes and sevens” is an old fashioned figure of speech that means that something is not in order.)

“With four Poppers and twelve penguins, not to mention the eight suitcases and pail of water with the live fish for the penguins’ lunch, Mr. Popper found that they could not all fit into one cab; so he had to call a second one.”

The tone of the story is increasingly light hearted. Captain Cook has been rescued from his malaise by the arrival of Greta and the subsequent births of their chicks. The Popper family is being saved from bankruptcy by their performing penguins. The authors rely on slapstick humor to continue moving the story toward completion as the family sets out on a 10-week road tour with their pets.

“For the firemen had put firemen’s helmets on the penguins, which made the delighted birds look very silly and girlish.”

Mr. Popper spends an entire night in New York City bathing his penguins in a cool shower in order to maintain their normal body temperature during a heat wave. The following morning, he is exhausted from his labors. Mr. Popper absentmindedly gives the taxi driver the name of the wrong theater; in doing so, he causes his penguins to meet up with a group of performing seals, who are penguins’ natural predators. Chaos ensues, and the Poppers assume that some of their birds may have been eaten before they could be rescued. In fact, the penguins have encircled the seals and are marching around them in a square when the firemen and policemen arrive. In keeping with the celebratory nature of this call, the firemen lend their helmets to the penguins and create quite a spectacle.