The Penguin Book of Penguins: An Expert’s Guide to the World’s Most Beloved Bird

A charming and beautifully illustrated book about the world’s most beloved birds, written by a leading scientist at the British Antarctic Survey and illustrated by artist Lisa E. Fretwell

There’s something about penguins that makes them irresistible. Maybe it is their comical waddle, or the fact that their upright gait makes it easy to compare them to humans. Whatever the reason, their cult following around the world is indisputable. Penguins can tell us so much about the world we live in – and what its future might look like. The Penguin Book of Penguins is a joyful, informative book, perfect for penguin lovers and naturalists alike, that introduces us to the main species of penguin and the fascinating lives they lead – their history, evolution, behaviours and habitats. Interspersed with these chapters are delightful penguin facts and trivia (like famous penguins, how the word ‘penguin’ is said in various languages, and even penguin jokes).

Why do penguins matter so greatly to all of us? As leading British Antarctic scientist Peter Fretwell shows, many of the distant places penguins inhabit face changes and threats to their existence through human interaction, habitat loss, invasive species and climate change. These changes will be felt by us all in decades to come, so it’s time we learned what the future holds in store for these most beloved of birds.

About the Author: Peter Fretwell is an award-winning cartographer and leading scientist at the British Antarctic Survey. He pioneered the use of satellite imagery to find and monitor polar wildlife, a project that has led to him discovering almost half of the world’s emperor penguin colonies. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and has completed four field seasons in Antarctica.