Scan barcode
kristenmstewart's review against another edition
3.0
A sweet book that made a good read aloud, but not something I'd say is a must read for every kid.
mrs_w24's review against another edition
5.0
Inspired by all the advertisements about the new movie, I picked up this book and read it. I love the old time-y simplicity of it, how matter-of-fact the Poppers were about having penguins take up residence, the fun of the ice rink in the basement, the fact that a zoo just shipped another penguin to a complete stranger, and also, that Mrs. Popper had to go to bed at 10pm so she wouldn't be late to the Ladies Society and Missionary Aide meeting. LOVE!
emmahughes067's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
rosetraub's review against another edition
5.0
I can see why this is a classic! Mr. Popper is quite the character.
annazapalac's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐ penguins and silliness are all this book has going for it, but it works
kmdahlgran's review against another edition
4.0
We all loved this book! The chapters are fairly short, making it easy to read several in one sitting. This is definately a book we will look forward to reading again.
amandagstevens's review against another edition
2.0
I have a low-key ambition to read all the Newbery books, and this one thankfully didn’t win the medal but did score an honor…somehow. It’s genuinely bad, and not because it’s unrealistic (it’s clearly a comedy from the start).
I wouldn’t hand this one to kids even for fun, because the portrayal of the marriage is just such a mess—and in the spirit of many early Newberys when children’s lit was not necessarily written about children or from their perspective, the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Popper is the primary relationship in this story (or secondary if we’re counting Mr. Popper’s penguin obsession, but that one is a one-way street, so).
Mr. Popper is irresponsible and incompetent, and Mrs. Popper is the only stop-gap between him and utter bankruptcy. Oh, and the starvation or eviction or whatever of their two children. Mrs. Popper points out these things in a fairly gentle fashion yet is portrayed in the first half of the book (before she fully engages with the penguins) as a nag. Several times she comments on the difficulty of keeping her house clean when her husband is at home making messes; her life is so much easier when he is at work. Never once does Mr. Popper pitch in with housework of any kind. He doesn’t clean up after his own self or pets. He is, after all, a man.
Granted, gender roles in 1939 were perceived and enforced exactly like this. The book is merely a “product of its time.” But kiddos don’t need to be reading this example of a clueless irresponsible man getting his way (and ultimately ditching his family while his wife agrees he definitely should ditch them—since she’ll be able to keep the house cleaner without her husband around). There are many, many better children’s books out in the world nowadays.
I wouldn’t hand this one to kids even for fun, because the portrayal of the marriage is just such a mess—and in the spirit of many early Newberys when children’s lit was not necessarily written about children or from their perspective, the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Popper is the primary relationship in this story (or secondary if we’re counting Mr. Popper’s penguin obsession, but that one is a one-way street, so).
Mr. Popper is irresponsible and incompetent, and Mrs. Popper is the only stop-gap between him and utter bankruptcy. Oh, and the starvation or eviction or whatever of their two children. Mrs. Popper points out these things in a fairly gentle fashion yet is portrayed in the first half of the book (before she fully engages with the penguins) as a nag. Several times she comments on the difficulty of keeping her house clean when her husband is at home making messes; her life is so much easier when he is at work. Never once does Mr. Popper pitch in with housework of any kind. He doesn’t clean up after his own self or pets. He is, after all, a man.
Granted, gender roles in 1939 were perceived and enforced exactly like this. The book is merely a “product of its time.” But kiddos don’t need to be reading this example of a clueless irresponsible man getting his way (and ultimately ditching his family while his wife agrees he definitely should ditch them—since she’ll be able to keep the house cleaner without her husband around). There are many, many better children’s books out in the world nowadays.
arielle0's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ladyash8878's review against another edition
4.0
Love this book!! I love Penguins and always wanted to find and read this book and am so glad I did.