Penguins

Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater is a childhood treasure I forgot until last week. It tells how a small-town housepainter unexpectedly finds himself responsible for a dozen penguins sharing his home.

What could be more irresistibly cute than a penguin? Its coloring and upright posture make it resemble a miniature man in a tuxedo. It waddles and struts like a toddler pretending to be a proud gentleman. Look here for many of its enchanting behaviors in its native habitat.

Years passed before I realized penguins and polar bears never meet in the wild. Polar bears live in the Arctic North, where they rely on sea ice as a base for hunting seals. Penguins dive for fish, squid, and krill from shores nearer the South Pole, including Antarctica; the coasts of South America, Africa, and Australia; and scattered sea islands such as the Galapagos (a province of Ecuador) and the humanly uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands (external territories of Australia).

What calls to mind Mr. Popper’s Penguins lately is the penguin imagery on signs at rallies. It’s a whimsical reference to global U.S. tariffs extending even to Heard and McDonald Islands, home only to penguins, seals, and sea birds. Using good-natured humor to make a serious point promotes resilience and high spirits. What elicits more smiles than a waddling, tuxedo-clad, miniature gentleman held aloft on a stick? What could be cuter than a penguin?

Image: Photo by 66 North on Unsplash.