I enjoyed reading “The Penguin Lesson” very much!
While reading it I wasn’t sure if such a relationship could exist between such unlike characters. The video below confirmed my hope…
The Video.
“When an old fisherman rescued a penguin he had no idea that the penguin would become a loyal friend for many years. João Pereira de Souza saved the penguin when he found it lying on the beach and named it Jinjing. After nursing the penguin back to health he let it go but it returned shortly thereafter. This unlikely friendship appears to have given both great joy as Jinjing swims thousands of miles to visit his human friend each year.”
The Book. “The Penguin Lessons.”
“Britain-born Michell narrates an unexpected encounter on a Uruguayan sojourn in the 1970s, and its surprising consequences. The 23-year-old Michell is en route to his position as an English teacher at a boarding school in Argentina when he happens upon a beach littered with thousands of migrating Magellanic penguins that had been felled by an oil slick dumped at sea. Sickened by the devastating spectacle, Michell decides to save the life of the lone living penguin. He transports the “tar-sodden” bird back to his temporary apartments, where, undeterred by the frightened creature’s nasty bite, he manages to clean his captive. In one of many miraculous moments, the penguin swiftly realizes that Michell is attempting to save him. Michelle names him Juan Salvado, John Saved, but also Juan Salvador, John Savior, because of his redemptive qualities. In clever, entertaining vignettes accompanied by simple yet engaging illustrations, Michell recalls secretly transporting Juan on a bus, nervously sneaking him through customs during a chaotic period in Argentina’s history, and introducing the bird to a community of 300 boys and school personnel, where he becomes the rugby team mascot, an acrobatic (non-chlorinated) pool swimmer, and a beloved confidante to many who delight in feeding him sprats. Michell, now a grandfather living in Cornwall, interweaves introspection, travel tales, and penguin facts in a charming story that also reveals the charismatic nature of this gregarious and increasingly”
We All Deserve Better 