San Antonio Busy Kids

“I hated the movie,” my friend declared. How that was possible was completely beyond me. I really liked Mr. Popper’s Penguins. I loved that it was fantastical and whimsical. After all, who wouldn’t want to turn their apartment into a winter wonderland for a few silly penguins…all in the name of making their kids happy.

The transformation of Popper from a corporate shark into a man who found meaning in his family and his dreams meant a lot to me…I often find myself getting too caught up in work and missing the small, merry moments of life, too.

I loved that I could escape into his snowy tale, complete with an ever-amazing Angela Lansbury, whom I adore. How can you not like a movie she’s in.

And then I read the book.

Okay…it’s not that I now hate the movie. But I can understand how my friend, who had read the original Mr. Popper’s Penguins found the movie…well…annoying. Even 13-year-old Boy Genius had the taste and sensibility to know the book was So. Much. Better.

First of all, Mr. Popper is not a businessman. He’s a painter.  And his appearance is anything but fussy. He’s a mess…all the time. He’s not divorced, he’s married. To a very kind and patient and long-suffering woman. He’s not rich. He can barely keep food on the table. His father didn’t travel to far off places. He dreamed of traveling on expeditions to exotic places he only heard about on the radio.

And those are just the start of the differences.

The book, written in 1938, weaves a tale that you absolutely should read out loud to your children. What the original Mr. Popper’s Penguins lacks in whimsy, it makes up for in good, solid, smart storytelling. Instead of a man who starts out rich and ends up in poverty caring for the penguins, Mr. Popper starts out in poverty and the penguins make him rich.

Rather than a coming of age story for an over-worked corporate hack, it’s the story of family, friendship and responsibility. Oh, right. Those good, old-fashioned virtues. Mixed up with a  good dose of adventure and charm…and one, very classic “who’s on first” incident on the phone with City Hall trying to figure out if Popper needs a permit for his penguins.

Be sure to check out the biography of the authors, Florence and Richard Atwater at Open Road Media. It’s just about as interesting as the story itself. Maybe even more…because it’s true. I’d have loved to have been a fly on the wall in their house.

Now, go buy the book. Read it together with your children. Savor each and every word. Especially the big ones. Enjoy each picture the Atwaters paint for you. Dream about far away places, silly pets and circus acts. Giggle together. And wonder. Then waddle around the house like a penguin. Why not? You only live once. Yepsalutely.