The Emperor's Egg

Long before the arrival of the Oscar-nominated 2005 documentary March of the Penguins, author Martin Jenkins and illustrator Jane Chapman's 1999 picture book The Emperor's Egg—aimed at ages 4-8—explored the breeding and chick rearing habits of Antarctica's Emperor penguins, focusing on the male penguin's duties as primary caretaker of the egg. As viewers will discover in this iconographic adaptation, after the female lays the egg, the male tucks it under his tummy for protection for two whole months (usually in May or June, which signals the onset of winter in that part of the world), huddles with other dude penguins for warmth, feeds the hatchling “milky stuff” from a pouch in his mouth (ewww!), and waits for his mate to return. The program closes with “Did You Know?” penguin facts (including their size and eating habits) and a brief recap. Compelling and informative, this is recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)