My Season With Penguins: An Antarctic Journal

by Sophie Webb

What is it like to live in a tiny polar haven for two months? To paint penguins outdoors in freezing weather? To be flipper-slapped by a bird whose wings are powerful enough to propel it swiftly through frigid waters? To look into the oddly expressive eyes of a penguin chick?
With charming watercolors and intriguing journal entries, this book inspires our curiosity. Sophie Webb gives readers a vivid, frank, firsthand account of what it is like to spend a season in a land not yet affected by people, yet populated for centuries by true dwellers of the Antarctic — the fearless, round-bellied, pink-footed, gliding, diving, utterly adept Adélie penguins.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Picture Books, Science, Childrens, Memoir

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 26, 2000

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes indeed, I definitely think that Sophie Webb has done a decent and generally engagingly, interestingly enough penned job recounting her two month stint in 1996 both helping with penguin research and also having the opportunity to meticulously observe and draw Adélie Penguins in My Season With Penguins: An Antarctic Journal (although I am a bit annoyed that while My Season With Penguins: An Antarctic Journal features a detailed glossary, there is no bibliography with suggestions for further reading), with with Webb’s text (aside from her own personal account of basically camping on Ross Island during Antarctic summer) describing not only what Adélie Penguins look like, how they live, what they eat, where they breed (and that only Emperor Pengins in fact live and breed further to the south in Antarctica) but that Webb's words also show how and why Adélie Penguins are being studied, tagged and fitted with radio collars for scientific research and that all of this is done with as little human interference as possible (and that the scientists doing the research, as well as visitors like illustrator Sophie Webb even have to give up their own clothing and wear sanitized outfits in order to limit the chances of transferring bacteria, seeds etc., in order to limit the import of invasive species into Antarctica, into the Adélie Penguins' colonies).

However, although the combination of Sophie Webb’s text and her illustrations gives a both visual and thematically successful reading experience, I certainly would not consider My Season With Penguins: An Antarctic Journal as a suitable book for readers below the age of ten. For while Webb’s narrative actually features nothing even remotely inappropriate for younger children theme and content wise, there is a very large amount of densely worded text presented in My Season With Penguins: An Antarctic Journal that would in my opinion be rather (if not majorly) difficult and distracting for the traditional picture book crowd (although the accompanying illustrations are definitely suitable for young children, but Sophie Webb’s printed words, definitely not so much). And yes and furthermore, with regard to the illustrations for My Season With Penguins: An Antarctic Journal, although I do really love the many Adélie Penguins Sophie Webb has drawn, considering that textually, this book is definitely more suitable for readers above the traditional picture book age, I rather do wish that My Season With Penguins: An Antarctic Journal would also be featuring photographs and not just drawn pictures, not just Sophie Webb’s artwork.

[Lisa Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the author's actual experience observing and studying adelie penguins in the antarctic. It has lots of information on the scientific method, but it shows it through the journal entries rather than listing it.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was awesome book. I loved how the author added the dates so that we readers can know when something happens. I also loved how the author putted the book from her point of view. Really good book. I recommend this book for anyone who loves penguins because this book talks a lot about penguins.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The star of this book are the many beautiful paintings and sketches of Adelie and other penguins. It is called a journal for a reason: it is written date by date about a scientific study of penguins.

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing my read of Sibert Winners and Honors. This is basically one researcher and artist's description of doing science in Antarctica. Great text and art. Just the right level of detail. I feel I was there to some degree. And have some idea on what her penguins are like and what doing science there is about. Definitely makes me want to read more by this author.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imagine a world where a mere 34 degrees Fahrenheit is considered to be hot and the inhabitants of the region spend the day sprawled on the ground, panting, in an attempt to cool off. So it is on our very own continent of Antarctica, where author, Sophie Webb took a two month expedition to study the residents of the area – the Adelie penguins. My Season with Penguins: An Antarctic Journal is exactly that – an illustrative journal of biologist and artist, Webb’s experiences studying the Adelie. While thrown into the adventure without being given any background information or purpose for the expedition, the reader soon gets caught up in the intricacies of a trip that few people get to take – a voyage to the uninhabited, designated for scientific research only, Antarctic region. Not only does Webb describe the idiosyncrasies of the Adelie penguins that she encounters, she also lets us in on what it is like for a human to live in one of the few areas of our Earth that have not been scarred by human progress. What really brings this journal home is Webb’s beautiful illustrations of the Adelie. She does an excellent job of capturing the day-to-day life and the expressive actions of the penguins on paper. By placing multiple stand-alone illustrations on a single page, the opportunity for comparison among the actions of the penguins arises, making for an interesting read. This award-winning book is an essential purchase for all libraries.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an ultimate field experience, and Sophie Webb took the chance to spend two summer months with the Adelie penguins in a remote spot where they nest in the Antarctic. There’s so much to learn about this adventure and about the penguins. Sophie and one other researcher are set up at Cape Royds, a special place because Shackleton’s hut is in this area, left nearly exactly as he left it, set up as a museum of sorts. Even the penguins like hanging around it, examining the things outside. Sophie explains that it’s so cold here, nothing rots, so the hut is still in good shape. Even in freezing weather, she’s managed to create beautiful watercolors of the experience. Penguins build ‘scrapes’, depressions on the ice, then gather small rocks to surround these “nests”. One page showed that these mischief-makers sneak up on each other’s nests to steal a rock for their own nests. Funny small arguments! She and her co-worker band penguins, weigh them, and actually catch them as they return from eating, make them throw-up so the contents of what they’re feeding on can be discovered. What a job! Sophie writes with excitement over all that she is learning and observing. I think this will be a wonderful book to open students’ eyes to the possibilities available to them in their futures. It was filled with interesting information and gorgeous pictures that enhanced the story.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My Season With Penguins: An Arctic Journal" is a non-fiction book written by Sophie Webb. It is a book intended for children ages 8-14 or primary (P) and intermediate (I) readers. It is a collection of journal entries by Webb who is a biologist as well as an artist. She was invited to Antarctica and spent two months journaling about every part of her trip. Sophie Webb is painstaking with her descriptions. Her love of art and journaling shines. She not only tells the reader all about penguins and her experiences studying them, but facts about all kinds of off topic things. I found this book to be eclectic and well thought out. It was honest and reasonable. This book will definitely make a child use their brain and think. I think that this book could be used in a classroom activity as it has many interesting facts about penguins and the Antarctic. Sophie Webb uses a unique style as she journals. Some of her pages are accompanied by eye catching artwork that no child could resist to look at. No matter what form Webb has chosen to relate what she saw with her own eyes to the pages, she does a great job.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

02/11: We enjoy studying penguins this time of year. The illustrations in this one are lovely.

Amazon Book Description:
What is it like to live in a tiny Polar Haven for two months? To look into the odd, expressive eyes of an Adélie chick? To be flipper-slapped by a bird whose wings are powerful enough to propel it swiftly through frigid waters? Sophie Webb knows, and she gives readers a frank firsthand account of what it is like to spend a season in a land not yet affected by humans, yet populated for centuries by true dwellers of the Antarctic—the fearless, round-bellied, pink-footed, waddling, diving, utterly adept Adélie penguins.

[Danni]

Informational Book: Science
Sophie Webb weaves together detailed journal entries, as well as photographs, drawings, and illustrations of her two-month excursion to Antarctica. Webb's fascination with penguins draws the reader into her story, making us believe we were braving the arctic temperatures and daily struggles to observe the lives of penguins in their natural habitats.

[Sarah Schwartz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Genre: Nonfiction, Kindle Version
Awards: 2001 Robert Sibert Award
Age Group: Advanced - Intermediate

Summary: In this brief book, Sophie Webb described her two month stint in Antarctica where she went with a team to study Adélie penguins. The book includes many penguin drawings, as the author is known for drawing and studying birds. She witnessed the penguin nesting season, the birth of new penguins, growth and development, and feeding techniques.

Evaluation: I gave this book one star, partly for its sterile writing and partly because I don't think the drawings translated well to Kindle format. They were small and the text was hard to read, rendering them basically useless.

For someone who claimed to love penguins so much, this book lacked emotion. Her journal entries were fact based and felt cold. The book described many aspects of penguin life including nesting, birth, feeding, predators and growth. A glossary at the end of the book provided additional definitions.

As far as meeting nonfiction criteria, this book did show a level of authority and expertise. The chronological journal entries provided an organized structure. I wish I had read the real hardback version so I could see how the pictures looked in person. Perhaps it would have made the book more interesting.

[marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever a sucker for animals and science, I found this book very interesting. Despite the fact that it generally comes across as a book for younger children, it does sometimes oddly gloss over things that might be questioned - the penguins are copulating. Ok, what does that mean? Are we leaving it to parents to explain? (Ok, yes, there's a definition in the glossary at the end . . .) I'm all for not editing for content for the younger set, but you have to know there'd be questions about that. Oh, also, I think I would have preferred photographs, but that could be because Webb's art is not my style.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book at all. There were not that many facts about penguins. The author only wrote about her experience in Antarctica, and not that much about penguins. There were a lot of pictures, but they were drawings, and they were not very good. In the other two non-fiction books we've read, the pictures helped me get a better understanding of the book, but the drawings in this book did not help me at all. I learned a little about the penguin's habitat and how the penguins reacted to certain events or creatures, like the author. Overall, I did not like this book at all because it was not interesting and it did not draw my attention.

[Amy W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Category: Informational
Review Source: Textbook p. 282

The author of this book details her journey to observe and document the living habits of penguins in the Antarctic. The book is written in the style of a journal with plenty of drawings and pictures to reinforce her writings. It is very clear that the author knows her stuff and loves what she does. There is a glossary of terms and plenty of references to help back that up. Children will find this book fascinating as the writer’s writing style is upbeat and enthusiastic and provides us with many fun details.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

In 1996, Sopie Webb who is a biologist went to Antartica for two month to study Ad lie Penguins. The book had really nice illustrations, some watercolors and others were just sketched. The book was basically her journals of the time she spent traveling, her experiences with the penguins, and the her experience dealing with the conditions in Antartica. I thought that the journals continued on a little long and some of the detail wasn't necessary. It wasn't a bad read, just not as interesting as I had hoped.

[Mika Moss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a very well-written book, my attention kept fading in and out. There were times when I was very interested in the penguins and times I could barely keep my eyes open, which leads me to believe that kids would have the same problem. The illustrations that go along with the passages in the journal-like book help quite a bit, in case the reader does not know what something is. I picked this book because I like animals, and liked the traveling and animal aspect in this book, just a tad too wordy for my liking.

[Lavada Figueroa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my Taste

Although this book is full of information, I could not keep interest in it. For someone that is very interested in penguins, it may be a bit more exciting to read. The title had the word "journal" in it, but I was not expecting it to be just that. I admit, that is my fault. The writer of this story made a journal of her day to day experiences while living with the penguins. Though, some of her entries were interesting, too me, many were not.

[Arinn Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Sophie Webb tells her true experiences, stories, and observations during her time spent studying and living with penguins in Antarctica. It is formatted like journal entries, and it inspires creativity in the reader.
I really enjoyed this book. It is factual and fun, and I really like penguins.
I would recommend this to any student who loves animals and would like to learn more about firsthand experiences with penguins.

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. I learned only a little bit about penguins, but I was surprised that there were drawn pictures and not actual ones. The story was slow and not all that interesting. The drawings were cute though. I would like to go to Antarctica, it seems like a lot of fun.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sibert 2001 Honor

I started to read and then I just ended up skimming through the rest of it. I'm sure this would be an excellent resource for children doing a report on penguins, but not interesting enough to keep my attention as someone just reading it because it's a Sibert.

[Kelsey Scherer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great informational text! I really enjoy learning while reading stories because it is not like having to read from your everyday text book. This Antartic Journal shares about the lives of penguins; how they live, eat, reproduce, etc. This book is a great read for older students.

[Lilac Mohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great addition to our homeschool unit study on penguins. It not only contains information about Adelie penguins, but also about the life of scientists in the Antarctic and how they do their research. There were a lot of math and science rabbit trails to follow in this book.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a journal kept as they live with penguins for 2 months. Good informational book about penguins.

[Angela Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a journal written about Antarctica and the penguins. It is written like a diary or journal. THis book has an abundance of text so it would be good for older students.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book about an artist's time in Antarctica studying penguins.

[Sam Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

2001 Sibert Honor book

I'd give this 4 1/2 stars if that was an option.

[Kiley DeBruyne]

Overall I thought that this book was very good! It had a lot of information about Antarctica and what life is like there. I loved how it was written in a journal format with dates and from the perspective of a scientist studying penguins. There are pictures throughout the book that are all labeled and help the reader to understand more about what the author is writing. This book is a fun way to learn about penguins and Antartica through a story about someone who travels to Antarctica and what there is experience was like. This book would be good to use in a classroom during a science unit for upper elementary. The book is fairly long but is broken up by days so it would be easy to read it over a week or two as they learn about Antartica and the animals there or scientists and how they conduct experiments. The story followed a scientist's experience in Antartica and he followed one penguin, Adeline, and how the penguin grows up. I would definitely use this book in a classroom for a Science unit and it would be very easy to incorporate into a lesson.