Penguin books and crafts for kids

Two of my favourite children’s picture books are Lost and found and Up and down, by Oliver Jeffers. They tell stories about the friendship between a boy and his penguin, the time they enjoy being together and the importance of being there for your friends when they need you.

Penguins are fascinating creatures. Did you know:

Penguins cannot fly – their wings have evolved into flippers
Penguins spend about half their lives on land and half in water
Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, but only a few species live in cold climates like Antarctica; some live in temperate climates and one lives north of the equator (Galapagos penguin)
The largest penguin species is the Emperor penguin (1.1m high, 35kg weight)
The smallest penguin species is the little blue penguin or fairy penguin (40cm high, 1kg weight)
Penguins have black backs and white fronts for camouflage from predators – the black cannot be seen from above the water and the white cannot be seen from below the water
Penguins have a thick layer of feathers that keep them warm in water
Penguins can stay underwater for up to 20 minutes at a time and swim up to 35kph
Penguins have a special gland that filters the sea water they take in from all the seafood they eat; it is then excreted through their beaks or by sneezing 🙂
Most penguins breed in colonies of up to 1000 birds