February Grades 1-2 Book Club: Mr. Popper's Penguins

For February's Book Club, we read Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. Anne, Ella, Grant, Keira, Lucy, Luke, Matt, and Stella were present. Here's some of what we talked about!

Why does Mr. Popper wish he were a scientist rather than a painter? What would you like to be when you grow up and why?

-I want to be a teacher because I like doing science and math. Mr. Popper wanted to go places.
-So he can experiment with animals. I want to be Luke when I grow up.
-I want to be a ballerina when I grow up because I love to dance.
-I want to be a librarian because I love books.
-I want to be a doctor when I grow up. It makes a lot of money.
-I want to be an actress because I like to act.
-I want to be a millionaire.
     

Where would Mr. Popper like to visit most and why? Where would you like to visit (that you have not been to) and why?

-He wanted to be in the Arctic with penguins. I want to be in the Arctic because I like the snow.
-I want to go to the North Pole because I want to be with the reindeer.
-I want to go to the North Pole to see a friend.
-A palace with a flower garden.
-To the North Pole to see Ann and Keira.

Mr. Popper is a dreamer. What does he dream about? What do you dream about doing and why?

-Mr. Popper dreams about going to the Antarctic because he wants to make discoveries.
-I dream about spiders biting me.
-Going to a rainbow playground.
-I dream about riding on unicorns.
--I dream about going under the sea and playing with an octopus in the arcade under the sea. Seals come along and mess up the whole thing.
-Mr. Popper dreamt about seeing the penguins in the Arctic.

Mr. Popper would like a penguin as a pet. Why? What would you like as a pet?

                                        

-I would want a pet camel.
-I would want a puppy.
-I want every single creature (or bug) in the world.
-A unicorn.
-A pet giraffe.
-A husky.
-Three puppies.

Mr. Popper wrote to Admiral Drake, a famous explorer. Why is Mr. Popper so excited to write to him? If you could write to someone famous, who would you choose and why?

-Mr. Popper was excited to write to him because he's a famous Antarctic explorer.

-Justin Beiber.
-Myself.
-I would write to Dr. Martin Luther King.
-I would write to Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter.
-To Kidz Bop 
-I would write to friends.  

Why did Mr. Popper name the penguin Captain Cook?

-Because he was named after a famous captain.
-Because he always said Gork but it sounded like Cook.

Why does Mrs. Popper think the penguin will be a good example for her family? Another word for “good example” is role model. Who do you consider to be a good role model and why?

-Because he was walking nice and he was cleaning up.
-Mrs. Popper thought that the penguins would be a good example because they acted well.

Mr. Popper wants to get a license for his pet. How do the people at City Hall react on the phone? How would you react if someone asked you for a penguin license?

-They thought it was weird.
-They were surprised.
-They thought that the penguins that Mr. Popper was talking about was a man named Benjamin.
-I would say "make a license and we'll shape it into a penguin." Then the penguin can follow it around.
-I would run away.
-I would make one for myself. Out of paper. Because I have tons of paper.
-I would keep on annoying them. And then I would spy on them to see if they were joking. And if they weren't, I'd steal the penguin.
-If someone asked me for a penguin license, I would say goodbye and shut off the phone.
-I would say "this is the wrong address".   

Mr. Popper took Captain Cook for a walk. How did people react to the sight of a penguin on the street?

-They thought it was weird.
-They got kicked out of a barber shop.
-Mr. Popper was walking Captain Cook on a clothesline. A lady got tangled up in the clothesline. 

Why does Captain Cook like to climb stairs?

-They climb up the stairs and tobaggan down.

What do the penguins like to eat? What do they not like to eat? What is your favorite mea?

-They like to eat fish. They don't like the shrimps after awhile.
-They love fish.

-Pasta.
-Tacos.
-Grilled cheese.
-Hamburger or pizza.
-I have a million so I don't know.
-Cheese pizza.
-Candy.
-Everything.

Mr. Popper does not want spring to come. Why?

-Because he has penguins and the penguins will get hot and the snow melts.
-He wants the penguins to stay with him.



We didn't have time to get to these questions but here are some more!

Why are the Poppers proud and happy after their tour with the penguins? Describe a time when you were very proud about something you did.

What was you favorite scene from the Poppers' tour with the penguins?

If you were Mr. Popper, what would you do with the penguins in the spring and why?

Describe how Mr. Popper felt when he was saying good-bye to his penguins. Describe how you would feel if your best friend was moving far away.

Describe how Mrs. Popper feels knowing that her husband will not be back for a long time. Were you surprised by her reaction? Why?

Please rate this book between 1 and 5, with 5 being one of your favorite books.

-Three 3s
-One 4s
-Four 5s

For March, we will be reading Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton.

A happy-go-lucky, waffle-loving narwhal and a cynical, no-nonsense jellyfish forge an unlikely friendship and share adventures while exploring the ocean together.-summary

We will meet on Wednesday, March 7 at 3:00 p.m. Please pick up your copy of the book and register for Book Club at the Circulation Desk.