World Penguin Day

With the success of movies like Happy Feet and March of the Penguins, World Penguin Day is a holiday whose time has come. World Penguin Day, celebrated April 25th annually, "was created to promote the health and conservation of these amazing creatures. Zoos, parks, conservationists and everyone else who loves penguins use this day to celebrate penguins as a unique and important part of our world. April 25 coincides with the annual northern migration of penguins. It began at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The scientists and researchers there noticed that every year on April 25, a colony of Adelie Penguins returned from spending months at sea. They returned to the same spot, on the same day, every year. This seemed too incredible a coincidence…and it wasn’t! This is the normal migrating pattern of these penguins. After several years of observing this phenomenon, the scientists and researchers began to plan for the penguins’ arrival and created a day of celebration out of their appearance," according to the Ian Somerhalder Foundation.

Love penguins? Want to learn more about them? Here's a few items from the catalog to get you started celebrating!

DVDs

Penguins: Spy in the Huddle

Penguins of Madagascar

The Adventures of Scooter the Penguin

Tappy Toes

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Emperors of Antarctica

Nature: Penguins [eVideo]

For Children

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo

Salina Yoon's Penguin and... books

Helen Lester's Tacky the Penguin books

A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis

Goodnight Opus by Berkeley Breathed

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Penguins by Lucia Raatma

Penguins by Emily Bone  

For Adults

Fraser's Penguins: A Journey to the Future in Antarctica by Fen Montaigne

Empire Antarctica: Ice, Silence, & Emperor Penguins by Gavin Francis

Smithsonian Q&A: The Ultimate Question and Answer Book - Penguins by Lloyd Spencer Davis

Opus: 25 Years of His Sunday Best by Berkeley Breathed

March of the Penguins by Luc Jacquet

International Collection for Kids

Pengin haiwei by Morimi Tomihiko [Japanese language]

Aogusiting by Meilanni Wate wen tu [Chinese language]

La dama de los pingüinos por Carol A. Cole [Spanish language]

Penguins = Pingüinos by Alice Twine  [Spanish language]

Crafts For All Ages

Knit Your Own Zoo: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 24 Animals by Sally Muir & Joanna Osborne

Socks Appeal: 16 Fun & Funky Friends Sewn from Socks by Brenna Maloney

Crafts for Kids Who Are Wild About Polar Life by Kathy Ross 


And don't miss "Your Personal Penguin" (sung by Davy Jones of the Monkees) on Sandra Boynton's CD Blue Moo: 17 Jukebox Hits From Way Back Never!

Links

How are you celebrating World Penguin Day? [Greenpeace]

Celebrate World Penguin Day with Pew [Pew Charitable Trusts Environmental Initiative]

Celebrate World Penguin Day - and the world penguin tracking database [Birdlife International]

Happy World Penguin Day! [Smithsonian Ocean Portal]