The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.

Richard Atwater was a newspaper columnist and also taught Greek at the University of Chicago. He got the idea in 1932, after watching a documentary about Richard E.Byrd's Antarctic expedition but had had only completed the first part when he had a stroke and the book was completed by his wife Florence. They were jointly honoured with the Newbery Medal in 1939.