Did you know that there are no penguins on the North Pole? Most penguins live on the South Pole, where predators like bears and foxes do not roam. Polar bears, on the other hand, live up north, far from their feathered friends.
TOON author Frank Viva based his book A Trip to the Bottom of the World on his own voyage to the Antarctica, where he encountered penguins, whales, and even the ominously named Deception Island (an active volcano covered in black beaches). True to life, there are no polar bears.
Viva’s book sits at number 8 on Amazon’s list of the bestselling children’s books exploring the polar regions. Other books on the list also feature a number of polar animals, including the ever-popular penguin, reindeer, wolves, owls, polar bears and even the occasional elf. Santa Claus, of course, lives on the North Pole, which makes this sight rather unlikely:
Polar regions also make us think of Mr. Popper’s Penguins, who have ventured far from home to live indoors (with the air conditioning turned very low) with the ever-suffering Mr. Popper.
Here in New York, the only penguins around are at the zoo. In the Central Park Zoo, they live in the aptly-named Penguin House:
But for those who can’t get to the South Pole to see the penguins in their natural habitat, A Trip to the Bottom of the World lets you make the amazing journey to the frozen islands of the lowest part of the globe with Mouse as a friendly guide. And, don’t forget, Frank Viva will be at Little Island Comics in Toronto this weekend, on Saturday December 1st, from 2 to 3pm!