Product Description

The Emperor penguin is the only large animal to remain on the Antarctic mainland throughout its bitterly inhospitable winter. Once the female has laid her egg, she heads back to the sea, leaving the male to incubate it. He then spends two months standing on the freezing cold ice with the egg on his feet! This is his story.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8344 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review

There are 17 kinds of penguin but the Emperor is the only one that breeds in Antarctica in midwinter. The adults arrive at their breeding areas--often as far as 200 kilometres from the open sea--in late autumn. A few weeks later the female lays her single egg and returns to the sea, leaving the male to keep the egg warm a couple of months later.

And so begins the story of The Emperor's Egg, a fascinating and unique story retold in a stunning book that quite simply takes the breath away. Superbly detailed and vivid illustrations that capture the chill of the Antarctic in a palette of icy blues contrast with the warm and informative text that explains the life-cycle of Emperor penguins in a memorable, sing-song way.

The Emperor's Egg is a stunning introduction to a truly remarkable creature, and could certainly be used in a study of the subject. But the overriding feeling is that this book is ideal for parent and child to share together anytime, and is sure to become a firm favourite. (Ages 4 and over)--Susan Harrison

About the Author
Martin Jenkins is an environmental consultant. He has been involved as writer and/or adviser in the production of many technical books on conservation matters, as well as the Walker non-fiction titles Wings, Stings and Wriggly Things in the Bright Sparks series, Fly Traps! Plants that Bite Back, runner-up for the 1996 TES Junior Information Book Award, Chameleons Are Cool and Informania: Vampires.

Customer Reviews

If you don't like the cold, don't read this book!
This author has a fantastic, personal, style of writing which grabs the attention and holds it tight, right till the end of the book. This book is ENTIRELY factual - but it is presented in a compelling manner, with illustrations which make you shiver and you can almost hear the icy wind whistling round the bedroom. The story of the emperor penguin's egg is fascinating - there was a lot here I didn't know - and is written with the main story and extra information which would be of particular interest to slightly older children. We borrowed this book from my 4 year old's school library and I am now going to buy everything else I can find by this duo! Definitely a 5* selection for any young child (2-7, or thereabouts!)

Fantastic!
The Emperor's Egg is a beautifully written factual account of the life of an Emperor Penguin. Information is given in such a way that you it feels to both reader and listener that you have a penguin expert with you in the room. My four year old son has taken this book to both nursery and school with him to the delight of his teachers and peers alike. I cannot recommend this book too highly!