THE GREAT PENGUIN RESCUE
BOOK SUMMARY
Written for adults, The Great Penguin Rescue is the unforgettable and heartwarming true story of the largest and most successful animal rescue ever undertaken. When a carrier named the MV Treasure sank off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa in June of 2000, the oil that spilled from the ship threatened to kill nearly half of the entire world population of African penguins.
A massive rescue effort was immediately launched, and 120 penguin experts – including the author – flew to Cape Town from around the globe to help manage the care of the 40,000 penguins harmed by the oil spill. 12,500 volunteers who had no prior animal experience also showed up at the rescue centers with nothing more than a fervent desire to help save the oiled birds. Over the 3-month course of the rescue, these dedicated and caring volunteers donated over one-half-million hours of their time and energy to help the penguins in their greatest hour of need.
Hailed as an “exciting nature drama” by the Boston Globe, “a real-life eco-thriller with a happy ending” by the New York Post, and “a powerful story that needs to be heard” by The Birder’s Library, The Great Penguin Rescue reminds us that one person truly can make a difference; and that when we come together and work as one, we can achieve extraordinary things!
BOOK AWARDS & FOREIGN TRANSLATIONS
The Great Penguin Rescue is the recipient of a Silver Nautilus Book Award (for books that are ‘changing the world one book at a time’); was a top finalist for the 2010 Massachusetts Book Award; was selected as a ‘Must-Read Book’ in the 2010 Massachusetts Book Awards; and was named ‘One of the best natural history books of 2010’ by Library Journal.
Often compared to Jon Krakauer’s gripping Everest disaster story, Into Thin Air, numerous readers and reviewers have said after reading The Great Penguin Rescue, “I couldn’t put it down!” And bird expert and book reviewer Melissa Mayntz said, “Dyan deNapoli gives the reader ‘come-to-life’ descriptions of what it took to clean and rehabilitate every bird, how each volunteer was trained, and the commitment it took to accomplish such an enormous task. It’s almost as if every reader was part of the rescue operation.” You will find yourself smiling and crying along with the rescuers. Don’t wait to read this amazing true story. Click HERE to order your copy now.
The Great Penguin Rescue is also available on Kindle and Nook, and as an audiobook. It has also been translated into Portuguese by Zahar publishing in Brazil under the title 40.000 PINGUINS, and is available on Brazil’s Amazon.
ALL ABOUT PENGUINS
BOOK SUMMARY
All About Penguins: Discover Life on Land and in the Sea
Released in December of 2020, All About Penguins is a gorgeously illustrated book about penguin biology and behavior written for young children. It takes the reader through the life cycle of a penguin, and covers the basic elements that make a penguin a penguin! Ray Shuell’s stunning, lifelike watercolors of penguins bring the author’s words to life in a truly delightful way. The publisher’s description of All About Penguins is below.
Waddle, slide, and swim through life as a penguin!
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a penguin? Imagine zooming through the ocean, diving for krill, or flopping on your belly and tobogganing across ice. This is how penguins spend their days―and they want you to join them! Now, kids ages 5 to 7 can explore the wonderful lives of waddling, web-footed penguins!
Packed with incredible detail and delightful illustrations, this book takes an expedition to South Georgia Island and beyond to teach you everything there is to know about every penguin species. Discover what penguins sound like, how they stay warm on land and while swimming, why they can’t fly, and how penguin families raise their chicks.
All About Penguins includes:
- A penguin’s life for me―Follow the King penguin’s journey as he grows into an adult bird raising his own baby chick through a fun and illustrated narrative.
- Deep dive with penguins―Explore the differences in behavior, appearance, and habitat between 19 different penguin species, including Emperor, Macaroni, African, and more.
- Fast penguin facts―Did you know penguins have knees? Or that most penguins can dive up to 300 feet deep? Find out more with tons of awesome penguin trivia!
Learn all about penguins with this fun, educational book!
REVIEWS & ENDORSEMENTS
Already a #1 best-selling book on Amazon, 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 already received more than 125 enthusiastic 5-star reviews and ratings on Amazon. 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
This wonderful account of the world’s most charismatic bird is a delight for all ages. Whether you are interested in the penguin’s unique biology, or varied species and diverse habitats, or want to discover its numerous adaptations, Dyan deNapoli’s informative text and Ray Schuell’s beautiful watercolors will appeal to devoted fans of these famous flightless birds.” ―Jonathan Chester, Author and Photographer
“This is a great book for any child―but beware, young readers: so appealing is the art, so thrilling the facts, than any adult just might snatch it right out of your hands! No matter what age you are, if you love penguins (and who doesn’t?) you need this book!” ―Sy Montgomery, Award-Winning Author
All About Penguins is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online stores, and can be ordered through your local bookseller as well.
HIRE DYAN FOR AN AUTHOR VISIT WITH YOUR STUDENTS!!
Dyan has been conducting virtual classroom visits based on this book (for K-4), 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!”
Dyan also conducts virtual classroom and library visits based on The Great Penguin Rescue, her book for adults and older students. To hire Dyan to visit your students virtually to teach them about penguins, Antarctica, writing and more, just use the contact form at the bottom of the page to send her an email.