Dyan deNapoli – penguin expert, TED & Nat Geo speaker, and award-winning author
MEET THE PENGUIN LADY
THE PENGUIN LADY IS GIVING VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS!!
(Which have been enthusiastically received by viewers of all ages!)
To view a selection of some of Dyan’s presentations, click on the blue ‘Videos of Other Talks’ button directly below. To hire Dyan to speak for your organization, use the contact form at the bottom of the page.
Renowned penguin expert, TED speaker, and award-winning author Dyan deNapoli (AKA The Penguin Lady) is on a lifelong mission to help save the world’s Threatened and Endangered penguins. This mission includes raising awareness and funding to protect all penguins. Why, you ask? Because penguin populations are crashing, and 13 of the 19 penguin species living on earth today are at risk of going extinct. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not next year. But far sooner than most people would think.
One of the many threats to penguins today is oil pollution. Watch The Great Penguin Rescue, Dyan’s powerful TED talk below, about her role in the remarkable rescue of 40,000 penguins from the Treasure oil spill in South Africa. And to learn how YOU can help save penguins, click on the ‘Help Penguins’ tab in the navigation bar at the top of the page.
WATCH DYAN’S 5TH TEDX TALK GIVEN IN MARCH 2023
DYAN ON TV’S STORIES FROM THE STAGE
In 2022, Dyan was invited to share a story on PBS’s popular storytelling program, ‘Stories From the Stage’. The producers wanted Dyan to tell the story of the penguin rescue, but asked her to talk about the more personal aspects of that experience, and the impact it had on her. Dyan’s 7-minute story is the first one in this episode (which is titled ‘First’; Season 5 Episode 16).
READ DYAN’S BOOKS
“It’s hard to imagine a silver lining coming out of a story about an oil spill, but if there ever were one, it would be The Great Penguin Rescue.” — The Daily Beast
“No matter what age you are, if you love penguins (and who doesn’t?) you need this book!” ―Sy Montgomery, Award-Winning Author (referencing the book, All About Penguins)
Dyan now has two books; one for adults and a new one for young children.
The groundbreaking and historic Treasure oil spill rescue was the largest and most successful animal rescue ever undertaken. And it still stands as such to this day. The numbers alone are astonishing; 40,000 penguins were rescued by 140 bird experts, who were aided by 12,500 inexperienced volunteers, who donated 556,000 hours of their time to help save the penguins.
To learn more about this dramatic rescue, read Dyan’s book for adults, The Great Penguin Rescue. (Not to be confused with a recent children’s book with the same title by another author.) Published by Simon & Schuster’s Free Press in 2010, her book has won several literary awards, including a Silver Nautilus Award and selection as a Must-Read Book in the Massachusetts Book Awards, and has received high praise from both readers and reviewers. It is often compared to Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air…but with penguins! And the New York Post put it on their Required Reading list, calling it “a real-life eco-thriller with a happy ending.”
THE GREAT PENGUIN RESCUE: 40,000 Penguins, a Devastating Oil Spill, and the Inspiring Story of the World’s Largest Animal Rescue is also available as an audiobook and an MP3, and is published in Portuguese by Brazil’s Zahar Publishing under the title 40.000 PINGUINS. See links below book image for purchasing both titles online.
ALL ABOUT PENGUINS: Discover Life on Land and in the Sea (Now available in hardcover!!)
Released in December 2020, All About Penguins is a gorgeously illustrated book about penguin biology and behavior for 4-8 years olds. And, as of June 2022, the book is available in hardcover as well. (With a much thicker paper stock, so it holds up very well in little hands!) All About Penguins takes the reader through the life cycle of a penguin, and covers the basic elements that make a penguin a penguin! Already a best-selling book, All About Penguins is being used by teachers for their penguin lessons in the classroom, and is being enjoyed by children and their parents at home. And it has been receiving enthusiastic reviews from both children and adults. Here are just a few comments from readers: “From the beautiful watercolor illustrations by Ray Shuell, to the informative text about penguins, to the ‘Did You Know’ bubbles and glossary terms, the reader will receive a wealth of knowledge about all penguin species.” And, “This is an incredibly comprehensive book about penguins! Kids will walk away after reading this feeling like an expert. Honestly, most adults will learn things too!” And, “Dyan deNapoli has written this book using her knowledge. What really comes through is her love for penguins. You’ll feel that love when you read it, too.”
All About Penguins is endorsed by other penguin experts too! Here’s what Lloyd Spencer Davis has to say about it: “Everyone loves penguins but not everyone knows penguins. However, that is about to change, as Dyan deNapoli’s book, All About Penguins, is so beautiful and so stuffed with facts that it resembles a krill-filled penguin. There’s no excuse: everyone can become a penguin expert now!” ―Lloyd Spencer Davis, Stuart Professor of Science Communication
And award-winning penguin researcher, Pablo Borboroglu said: “All About Penguins is a splendid tool to empower the next generation of environmental leaders, connecting children to nature through the penguins. This book is pure magic. It will inspire, educate and enrich you. The illustrations and texts captivate the reader’s attention and curiosity, and you cannot help reading it until the very end.” ―Pablo Borboroglu, Founder and President of the Global Penguin Society
All About Penguins is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online stores, and can be ordered through your local bookseller as well.
Dyan is also conducting virtual classroom visits based on this book, which have been extremely well received. Comments from teachers include: “Your talk was so inspiring, and I bet that there were students in the audience who would love to go into the field of science to work with these amazing animals! I, myself, learned a lot about penguins from reading your amazing book and listening to your talk.” And, “The kids absolutely loved it! They were taking about you the rest of the afternoon! The presentation was perfect and really kept even our squirreliest littles engaged.” And this letter came from a parent after Dyan’s virtual visit with her daughter’s 2nd grade class: “Mia was absolutely riveted, and has been talking about penguins and Antarctica practically nonstop since your talk. She initially had zero interest in the topic, but thanks to you, she’s completely changed her mind. Suffice it to say, you made a huge, huge impression!”
To hire Dyan to visit your students virtually to teach them about penguins, just use the contact form at the bottom of the page to send her an email.
BE INSPIRED TO DREAM BIG
“Run – don’t walk – to listen to Dyan’s TED talk. It will affirm your belief in humanity, and her story will inspire you to dream BIG!” — Valerie Young, Imposter Syndrome expert and author of The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women
Dyan’s other mission – and one that she is just as passionate about – is to inspire her readers and audience members to pursue their own dreams; no matter their age or current qualifications, and no matter how unrealistic or unattainable their dreams may seem to be. Dyan firmly believes that you are never too young and never too old to pursue your passions! As someone who didn’t start on the path to her current career until her mid-30’s, Dyan is living proof that dream-chasing has no age limit and no time frame.
THE PENGUIN LADY SPEAKS
“You were amazing!! That was better than an Ariana Grande concert!!” — student audience member
“Thank you for such a wonderful interview. You gave us a real sense of the scale of the operation, and talked with such passion and energy.” — Louise Hidalgo, Presenter/Producer, “Witness”, BBC World Service
From universities to grade schools to National Geographic’s iconic expedition ship, The Explorer, Dyan has been wowing audiences of all ages for 25 years. Noted for her extensive knowledge and heartfelt passion, Dyan’s enthusiasm is contagious, and audience members leave feeling motivated to help penguins (and other creatures), and inspired to dream bigger in their own lives as well.
HIRE DYAN FOR YOUR VIRTUAL EVENT
“Mia initially had zero interest in this topic, but thanks to you, she’s completely changed her mind. Suffice it to say, you made a huge, huge impression!” — Parent of 2nd grader after a virtual visit
YOU’VE ASKED – AND, YES!! DYAN IS DOING VIRTUAL PRESENTATIONS!!
(Which have been enthusiastically received by viewers of all ages!)
Click on the ‘Hire Dyan’ button below, or use the contact form at the bottom of the page to hire Dyan.
A veteran of four TEDx talks, and creator of a popular TED-Ed video for students and teachers about penguin conservation, (video below) Dyan’s combined TED talks have been viewed nearly one million times. She is a sought-after expert for national and international radio, TV, podcasts, and print media (including the BBC, CNN, CBC Radio Canada, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, National Geographic and more); and is a Global Perspectives Guest Speaker for Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic on their voyages to the Antarctic region. She would love to bring her unique programs and fascinating stories to your virtual event or classroom. Click the HIRE DYAN button below to book her now.