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The Penguin Lessons
"I was hoping against hope that the penguin would survive because as of that instant he had a name, and with his name came the beginning of a bond which would last a life-time."
Set against Argentina's turbulent years following the collapse of the corrupt Peronist regime, this is the story of Juan Salvador the penguin, rescued by English schoolteacher Tom Michell from an oil slick in Uruguay just days before a new term. When the bird refuses to leave Tom's side, the young teacher has no choice but to take it with him and look after it. This is their story.
Set against Argentina's turbulent years following the collapse of the corrupt Peronist regime, this is the story of Juan Salvador the penguin, rescued by English schoolteacher Tom Michell from an oil slick in Uruguay just days before a new term. When the bird refuses to leave Tom's side, the young teacher has no choice but to take it with him and look after it. This is their story.
229 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,871 reviews
July 15, 2019
This book is about the adventures of a young man who decides he wants to see South America, gets a job teaching English in a posh English-medium school in Argentina and his travels. In Uruguay he sees how an oil spill has affected and killed a lot of penguins, but one is still alive, he names it Juan Salvador, and he takes it home to clean it, kind of "smuggles" it over the border (it is an Argentinian penguin he tells the Customs Officer and is going home) and eventually to the school.
At the school, the penguin, looking like the ersatz little humans they do, befriends everyone and goes for long walks in the woods when not living on the author's balcony. The author does his best to provide him with whatever he thinks Juan Salvador might want, and Juan Salvador is happy with whatever he is given, even it isn't quite what a penguin would think is perfect. Juan Salvador has the gift of making the very best of everything that comes his way and he loves to be in company. He affects many people with his listening skills, head cocked to one side paying attention. The children and the staff love him. And they babysit him when the author wants to go off travelling. This doesn't end well.
The author is a really good writer and his descriptions on being out on a farm the size of a country, with the gauchos, the cowboys, living their life, is revelatory. Who would think that in the 1970s in a first world country that people would wander looking for pasture daily, carrying everything on their saddle and sleeping around a campfire under the stars at night?
The last part of the book is looking back on the time he and the penguin were each others best friends and loved each other fiercely. The mystery of why the penguin, once popped into the bath to have his feathers cleaned from the oil, made no fuss and refused to go back into the sea but wanted to stay with the author is explained.
Don't read the spoiler if you are going to read the book, it WILL spoil it for you.
It's a lovely book, warm, enjoyable, and the penguin is a real character with a strong personality, even if some of it is projection. It's one I will think on for a long time and would be happy to reread one day.
At the school, the penguin, looking like the ersatz little humans they do, befriends everyone and goes for long walks in the woods when not living on the author's balcony. The author does his best to provide him with whatever he thinks Juan Salvador might want, and Juan Salvador is happy with whatever he is given, even it isn't quite what a penguin would think is perfect. Juan Salvador has the gift of making the very best of everything that comes his way and he loves to be in company. He affects many people with his listening skills, head cocked to one side paying attention. The children and the staff love him. And they babysit him when the author wants to go off travelling. This doesn't end well.
The author is a really good writer and his descriptions on being out on a farm the size of a country, with the gauchos, the cowboys, living their life, is revelatory. Who would think that in the 1970s in a first world country that people would wander looking for pasture daily, carrying everything on their saddle and sleeping around a campfire under the stars at night?
The last part of the book is looking back on the time he and the penguin were each others best friends and loved each other fiercely. The mystery of why the penguin, once popped into the bath to have his feathers cleaned from the oil, made no fuss and refused to go back into the sea but wanted to stay with the author is explained.
Don't read the spoiler if you are going to read the book, it WILL spoil it for you.
It's a lovely book, warm, enjoyable, and the penguin is a real character with a strong personality, even if some of it is projection. It's one I will think on for a long time and would be happy to reread one day.
February 4, 2016
Proves the adage that large things can be found in small packages. Can refer to the less than 300 pages in this delightful book and the penguin, Juan Salvador who will touch and change the lives of many. He will soon make his way under your skin and into your heart, as he did mine. What an amazing experience for this author to have had in his youth.
So we lean about penguins but also the horror of industrial accidents, we see some of the Argentine country through the eyes of the author, a little about the political situation and the changing and inflationary economy and what life is like in a boy's boarding school. A great deal of humor and some wonderful black, and white sketches of this adorable penguin in different situations.
A must read, a much needed interlude between some heavy reading. A different type of story about an experience not many have.
So we lean about penguins but also the horror of industrial accidents, we see some of the Argentine country through the eyes of the author, a little about the political situation and the changing and inflationary economy and what life is like in a boy's boarding school. A great deal of humor and some wonderful black, and white sketches of this adorable penguin in different situations.
A must read, a much needed interlude between some heavy reading. A different type of story about an experience not many have.
February 4, 2016
I saw this book on many friends' pages and I felt this was a book I must read for myself. Penguin Lessons is 64 year old Michell's recollections of his time 40 years earlier as a house counselor in an Argentine boarding school, and, more importantly, the life lessons he learned from Juan Salvado the penguin.
In his 20s Michell desired to see the world. I suspect many people do as a means of finding oneself. He decided to apply for a position as a house counselor at a boarding school in Argentina on the other side of the world from his rural English home.
A perk of Michell's job is that he had much time to travel throughout South America. On one journey he explored Punta del Este, Uruguay and found a beach full of penguins destroyed by an oil spill. Only one penguin miraculously survived, and Michell decided to adopt him and so named the bird Juan Salvado (saved).
The rest of this short gem of a memoir is the relationship between Michell and Juan Salvado. Without giving much away, Michell writes of how Juan Salvado fits into the day to day life at the school. If a person was not a penguin lover before reading this book, they will most likely become one after reading it. A short, uplifting read.
In his 20s Michell desired to see the world. I suspect many people do as a means of finding oneself. He decided to apply for a position as a house counselor at a boarding school in Argentina on the other side of the world from his rural English home.
A perk of Michell's job is that he had much time to travel throughout South America. On one journey he explored Punta del Este, Uruguay and found a beach full of penguins destroyed by an oil spill. Only one penguin miraculously survived, and Michell decided to adopt him and so named the bird Juan Salvado (saved).
The rest of this short gem of a memoir is the relationship between Michell and Juan Salvado. Without giving much away, Michell writes of how Juan Salvado fits into the day to day life at the school. If a person was not a penguin lover before reading this book, they will most likely become one after reading it. A short, uplifting read.
January 22, 2023
In The Penguin Lessons, the English author writes about an unforgettable friend he made back in the '70s. He had taken a position at school in Argentina, but during a trip he took to Uruguay ahead of the start of term, he rescued a lone surviving Magellanic penguin. The rest of its colony had perished in an oil spill. Michell cleaned up the bird and tried to return it to the wild, but it refused to leave his side.
And so the penguin became his companion and a friend to everyone at the school at which he taught during a very tumultuous time in Argentina, politically and economically speaking. The author talks about his relationship with little Juan Salvador the penguin and all the lessons the bird taught him while he also speaks more generally about his time on the continent.
This was an absolute delight and it's especially good on audiobook, narrated by the actor Bill Nighy.
Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book (and one other penguin book) over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
And so the penguin became his companion and a friend to everyone at the school at which he taught during a very tumultuous time in Argentina, politically and economically speaking. The author talks about his relationship with little Juan Salvador the penguin and all the lessons the bird taught him while he also speaks more generally about his time on the continent.
This was an absolute delight and it's especially good on audiobook, narrated by the actor Bill Nighy.
Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book (and one other penguin book) over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!
April 15, 2021
I am impressed by this book. It gave me much more than I expected. I picked it up because I had heard it was humorous. It certainly was. It is also well written. It has history, brings to the fore environmental issues and pulls at your heartstrings. What more do you want from a book?!
I am now in love with Magellanic penguins. Go take a peek at them on Google. Juan Salvador was just such a penguin, but what a penguin he was! He was a listener. He spoke with his eyes. Tell me, who got the better deal? The penguin, Juan Salvador, saved from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay where thousands of penguins died OR those humans who came to know him - the author, the Bolivian boy Diego whom he swam with, Maria or the other attendants and teachers at St. George's College? Was he a savior or was he the saved? That is the question. I learned so much about these marvelous creatures. I learned with my head and with my heart.
The author, Tom Michell, was an assistant master at the above named, rather exclusive boarding school in 1975 - 1976. It’s located in Quilmes, outside Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 23. He never planned on caring for a penguin. He planned on teaching and seeing South America - its people, its wildlife, its landmarks, its night sky constellations, its flora, its fauna. In fact, he does both! And in this book he articulately depicts his emotional and intellectual experiences. He must have been a marvelous teacher. He cared for those kids and he cared for Juan Salvador. He briefly fills in the history of the time. Rampant inflation and the beginning of the Dirty War. In March 1976 Isabel Péron was ousted by a right-wing coup d'état. A military junta was installed headed by General Jorge Rafael Videla.
The auiobook narration by Bill Nighy was expertly executed. You should hear him relate the college rugby matches or how Juan Salvador flies through the water. The lines sound just like the British school teacher the author was, but never stuffy. Couldn’t have been better. Perfect.
I am now in love with Magellanic penguins. Go take a peek at them on Google. Juan Salvador was just such a penguin, but what a penguin he was! He was a listener. He spoke with his eyes. Tell me, who got the better deal? The penguin, Juan Salvador, saved from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay where thousands of penguins died OR those humans who came to know him - the author, the Bolivian boy Diego whom he swam with, Maria or the other attendants and teachers at St. George's College? Was he a savior or was he the saved? That is the question. I learned so much about these marvelous creatures. I learned with my head and with my heart.
The author, Tom Michell, was an assistant master at the above named, rather exclusive boarding school in 1975 - 1976. It’s located in Quilmes, outside Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 23. He never planned on caring for a penguin. He planned on teaching and seeing South America - its people, its wildlife, its landmarks, its night sky constellations, its flora, its fauna. In fact, he does both! And in this book he articulately depicts his emotional and intellectual experiences. He must have been a marvelous teacher. He cared for those kids and he cared for Juan Salvador. He briefly fills in the history of the time. Rampant inflation and the beginning of the Dirty War. In March 1976 Isabel Péron was ousted by a right-wing coup d'état. A military junta was installed headed by General Jorge Rafael Videla.
The auiobook narration by Bill Nighy was expertly executed. You should hear him relate the college rugby matches or how Juan Salvador flies through the water. The lines sound just like the British school teacher the author was, but never stuffy. Couldn’t have been better. Perfect.
November 14, 2015
What a charming little book!
I picked this up simply because of the penguin on the cover (who can resist a cute penguin?) and i'm glad I did. The book is both comedic and silly, but in a sweet and heart warming way. The rather ridiculous chain of events that form the attempt, by a supremely English chap, to save the life of a penguin, are made even more humorous by the fact that it happens to be a true story. It has moments of incredible sadness, but even more of hope and compassion. The scene in which Michell attempts to take the penguin through Argentine immigration control is hilarious and the book is worth reading for this alone.
In parts personal memoir, travelogue, political and social history, the book moves with ease from pointed discussion of humanity's attitude towards wildlife, to the antics of schoolboys who suddenly find they are sharing their school with a penguin. In doing so, Michell puts forward a picture of the best and worst people can do.
While I could have done without the author's fabricated conversational responses from the penguin, the overwhelming experience of the book is in the moving, unusual friendships formed between the little penguin and the people who meet him.
The story of Juan Salvador the penguin will stay in my mind for a long time.
Many thanks to Tom Michell, Penguin, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
I picked this up simply because of the penguin on the cover (who can resist a cute penguin?) and i'm glad I did. The book is both comedic and silly, but in a sweet and heart warming way. The rather ridiculous chain of events that form the attempt, by a supremely English chap, to save the life of a penguin, are made even more humorous by the fact that it happens to be a true story. It has moments of incredible sadness, but even more of hope and compassion. The scene in which Michell attempts to take the penguin through Argentine immigration control is hilarious and the book is worth reading for this alone.
In parts personal memoir, travelogue, political and social history, the book moves with ease from pointed discussion of humanity's attitude towards wildlife, to the antics of schoolboys who suddenly find they are sharing their school with a penguin. In doing so, Michell puts forward a picture of the best and worst people can do.
While I could have done without the author's fabricated conversational responses from the penguin, the overwhelming experience of the book is in the moving, unusual friendships formed between the little penguin and the people who meet him.
The story of Juan Salvador the penguin will stay in my mind for a long time.
Many thanks to Tom Michell, Penguin, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2019
This is a delightful account about a young man and Juan Salvador, the penguin that he rescued who came to live with him for a time. Tom Michell, a young Englishman, teaching at a boarding school in Argentina in the 1970s, was enjoying the summer break in Paraguay when he came across the devastating site of hundreds of Magellan penguins covered in black, tarry oil, dead on the beach. When he spotted a solitary penguin alive he didn't hesitate to pick it up and take it back to his holiday apartment where he tried to remove the oil. What follows is the story of how he came to smuggle it back to Argentina and into the school, where it quickly became well loved by the staff and the boys and an important member of the school.
November 18, 2015
Marley & Me with a penguin. Well, sort of. I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit peeved at how this has been roped in for Christmas advertising on Goodreads. It would indeed make a good holiday gift for an animal-lover, but this emphasizes the twee aspects of what is otherwise a sweet if slight story about the author keeping a Magellanic penguin as a pet while he was teaching in an Argentina boarding school in the 1970s.
Michell, from England, was in his twenties when he set off on his South American adventure. During school holidays he traveled as far as he could get on a motorbike, and it was on one such break to Uruguay that he came across an awful oil spill on Punta del Este beach. All he could see was dead penguins – until he realized one was still alive. He named the little fellow Juan Salvado(r) and smuggled him back into Argentina to live on his bedroom terrace and delight the schoolboys. Before that, though, comes the uproarious process of cleaning the oil-sodden bird, a feat achieved with a bidet, a string bag, and plenty of dish detergent. (Pre-Google days, you see.) This was by far my favorite passage of the book.
It’s touching to see Juan Salvado making friends at the school and helping an outcast named Diego Gonzales come out of his shell through swimming in the later parts of the book. However, I’m always hesitant about anthropomorphizing, which Michell does here when imagining the penguin’s replies in italics. Plus the language can be a bit stiff – I would have dated this to the 1950s by the speech, and there’s precious little evidence of the political upheaval in Argentina at the time the book is set. All the same, stories of connection across species boundaries are always pleasant to read, and the whimsical illustrations are charming.
Michell, from England, was in his twenties when he set off on his South American adventure. During school holidays he traveled as far as he could get on a motorbike, and it was on one such break to Uruguay that he came across an awful oil spill on Punta del Este beach. All he could see was dead penguins – until he realized one was still alive. He named the little fellow Juan Salvado(r) and smuggled him back into Argentina to live on his bedroom terrace and delight the schoolboys. Before that, though, comes the uproarious process of cleaning the oil-sodden bird, a feat achieved with a bidet, a string bag, and plenty of dish detergent. (Pre-Google days, you see.) This was by far my favorite passage of the book.
It’s touching to see Juan Salvado making friends at the school and helping an outcast named Diego Gonzales come out of his shell through swimming in the later parts of the book. However, I’m always hesitant about anthropomorphizing, which Michell does here when imagining the penguin’s replies in italics. Plus the language can be a bit stiff – I would have dated this to the 1950s by the speech, and there’s precious little evidence of the political upheaval in Argentina at the time the book is set. All the same, stories of connection across species boundaries are always pleasant to read, and the whimsical illustrations are charming.
October 23, 2015
When I saw the cover of “The Penguin Lessons,” I simply couldn’t resist reading it, and I’m glad I didn’t or I would have missed out on a great story.
Tom Mitchell’s true story chronicles his life during the early 1970s, when as a 23 year old from the U.K. he moved to Argentina to teach at a prestigious English-language college (and live the free-wheeling life of an unencumbered adventurer exploring South America). During a trip to the Uraguayan coast, he comes upon hundreds of Magellan penguins that have all been killed by an oil slick – except for one lone penguin, covered in oil, but hanging on to life. Not quite knowing what to do, he decides to take the penguin back to Argentina and nurse it back to health (yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, but remember this is the 1970’s, and Uraguay. I doubt anyone could get a penguin through customs today).
The penguin, named Juan Salvado, flourishes under Tom’s care. Although Tom explores options of turning Juan over to the Buenos Ares zoo, or returning him to the wild, neither of these pan out and seeing that Juan is thriving Tom decides to raise him.
While the book covers the requisite funny anecdotes of trying to raise a penguin, and the heartwarming tales of how those at the college bond with Juan Salvado, Mitchell includes a bigger picture of the time and place in his book. He includes an interesting commentary on the political and economic situation of Argentina during the early 70s, as well as beautiful descriptions of the Argentinian landscape (I was less interested in the lengthy descriptions of rugby – an Argentinian pastime).
A particularly moving part of the book comes near the end when Mitchell relays in beautiful detail about the way Juan Salvado helped transform a student who was struggling and an outcast at the college. It brought a tear to my eye. In my professional life I work with an organization that brings nature and animal therapy programs to vulnerable populations, including children and teens who have experienced trauma and suffer from PTSD. There is something incredibly profound about the human-animal bond, and for so many people the connection with an animal is their first step toward healing and transformation.
3.75 stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tom Mitchell’s true story chronicles his life during the early 1970s, when as a 23 year old from the U.K. he moved to Argentina to teach at a prestigious English-language college (and live the free-wheeling life of an unencumbered adventurer exploring South America). During a trip to the Uraguayan coast, he comes upon hundreds of Magellan penguins that have all been killed by an oil slick – except for one lone penguin, covered in oil, but hanging on to life. Not quite knowing what to do, he decides to take the penguin back to Argentina and nurse it back to health (yeah, I know, it sounds crazy, but remember this is the 1970’s, and Uraguay. I doubt anyone could get a penguin through customs today).
The penguin, named Juan Salvado, flourishes under Tom’s care. Although Tom explores options of turning Juan over to the Buenos Ares zoo, or returning him to the wild, neither of these pan out and seeing that Juan is thriving Tom decides to raise him.
While the book covers the requisite funny anecdotes of trying to raise a penguin, and the heartwarming tales of how those at the college bond with Juan Salvado, Mitchell includes a bigger picture of the time and place in his book. He includes an interesting commentary on the political and economic situation of Argentina during the early 70s, as well as beautiful descriptions of the Argentinian landscape (I was less interested in the lengthy descriptions of rugby – an Argentinian pastime).
A particularly moving part of the book comes near the end when Mitchell relays in beautiful detail about the way Juan Salvado helped transform a student who was struggling and an outcast at the college. It brought a tear to my eye. In my professional life I work with an organization that brings nature and animal therapy programs to vulnerable populations, including children and teens who have experienced trauma and suffer from PTSD. There is something incredibly profound about the human-animal bond, and for so many people the connection with an animal is their first step toward healing and transformation.
3.75 stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 21, 2020
January 2021 book club book for 15th anniversary meeting of my real world (via video since March 2020) book club. It’s a good book for book club.
It’s beautifully written, entertaining, charming, humorous at times, and a great armchair travel book.
It’s lighter than most of my book club books but it’s not fluff. It is an engaging story and a lovely meditation on friendships, relationships in general, mentoring, nature, how humans impact the ecosystem, and on adventure and seeking out & experiencing the new.
I’ve always been fond of penguins, especially since I saw the movie March of the Penguins in a movie theater. Here it was fun to get to know a penguin who did experience human intervention and to see a real relationship develop.
I rooted for the penguin and for Diego and for the author, and for others too.
I enjoyed the mix of information about the areas/nature, the author, the people he encountered, and especially the penguin. I appreciated the scientific information that is included, especially that added toward the end of the book that helps explain exactly why the penguin behaved as it did.
The penguin illustrations by the author were pleasing and added to the narrative. I do wish that there had been photos and I wonder if the bit more than two minutes of video footage can be found anywhere is I’d love to view it.
It’s a delightful book I can heartily recommend to readers who might enjoy reading about penguin and humans relationship, has interest in South America its history and/or it’s present, interest in wildlife especially penguins, interest in an unconventional school story, culture exchange, really most readers. Even people who are not normally non-fiction readers might enjoy it as it’s great storytelling.
4-1/2 stars
It’s beautifully written, entertaining, charming, humorous at times, and a great armchair travel book.
It’s lighter than most of my book club books but it’s not fluff. It is an engaging story and a lovely meditation on friendships, relationships in general, mentoring, nature, how humans impact the ecosystem, and on adventure and seeking out & experiencing the new.
I’ve always been fond of penguins, especially since I saw the movie March of the Penguins in a movie theater. Here it was fun to get to know a penguin who did experience human intervention and to see a real relationship develop.
I rooted for the penguin and for Diego and for the author, and for others too.
I enjoyed the mix of information about the areas/nature, the author, the people he encountered, and especially the penguin. I appreciated the scientific information that is included, especially that added toward the end of the book that helps explain exactly why the penguin behaved as it did.
The penguin illustrations by the author were pleasing and added to the narrative. I do wish that there had been photos and I wonder if the bit more than two minutes of video footage can be found anywhere is I’d love to view it.
It’s a delightful book I can heartily recommend to readers who might enjoy reading about penguin and humans relationship, has interest in South America its history and/or it’s present, interest in wildlife especially penguins, interest in an unconventional school story, culture exchange, really most readers. Even people who are not normally non-fiction readers might enjoy it as it’s great storytelling.
4-1/2 stars
May 14, 2016
This is an enchanting and beautifully written book, about an unusual relationship between a man and a penguin, and it's full of the glorious flavours of Argentina in the 1970s. I cannot give it a better review than Caren's - which is here....
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My one add is to say if that you are concerned about animal welfare, you may want to skip the section dealing with the Argentinian cowboys.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My one add is to say if that you are concerned about animal welfare, you may want to skip the section dealing with the Argentinian cowboys.
August 28, 2016
Tom Michell has reached his twenties and seeks adventure. Heading to the South American continent to work at a prestigious boarding school in Argentina and dreams of travel and exploration. The country that he arrives in is turbulent and in the grip of military control and rampant inflation after the collapse of the Perón regime. The allure of travelling during the long summer holidays prompts him to acquire a motorbike, hoping to see the landscape at his own pace.
Time to live the dream. Except that dream didn’t involve getting a pet penguin…
Whilst on a short break in Uruguay he comes across a beach with hundreds of dead penguins covered in oil from the wreck of a tanker. As he walks through the devastation, he sees one alive and picks it up and sneaks it back into the hotel. After a minor altercation involving a cut finger, he manages to clean the oil off the penguin and when he realises that it really doesn’t want to leave him, so begins a relationship with a bird, Juan Salvador. He just needs to work out how to get the creature across the border and back to school. S begins a story of a penguin that transformed Mitchell’s life and many of those in the school that he taught at.
It is a heart-warming story of a foolhardy decision that in the long run had so many positive benefits for all those that came into contact with Juan Salvador. There are some genuinely funny moments in the book and the tale he tells has a certain charm too. It is a serious commitment that he has made to care for an animal that needs company and attention and he tells it as it is. I really would have liked much more of the travelling that he undertook in the region, but that was not the focus of the book. Occasionally the writing is a bit twee and stilted, but it is a nice heart warming story.
Time to live the dream. Except that dream didn’t involve getting a pet penguin…
Whilst on a short break in Uruguay he comes across a beach with hundreds of dead penguins covered in oil from the wreck of a tanker. As he walks through the devastation, he sees one alive and picks it up and sneaks it back into the hotel. After a minor altercation involving a cut finger, he manages to clean the oil off the penguin and when he realises that it really doesn’t want to leave him, so begins a relationship with a bird, Juan Salvador. He just needs to work out how to get the creature across the border and back to school. S begins a story of a penguin that transformed Mitchell’s life and many of those in the school that he taught at.
It is a heart-warming story of a foolhardy decision that in the long run had so many positive benefits for all those that came into contact with Juan Salvador. There are some genuinely funny moments in the book and the tale he tells has a certain charm too. It is a serious commitment that he has made to care for an animal that needs company and attention and he tells it as it is. I really would have liked much more of the travelling that he undertook in the region, but that was not the focus of the book. Occasionally the writing is a bit twee and stilted, but it is a nice heart warming story.
December 19, 2015
This is an absolute gem of a book. It is the author's first book, although he is now in his mid-sixties. It is a sort of memoir of a time in his youth, in the 1970s, when he taught at an elite boarding school in Argentina. An Englishman, he noted that others of his ancestors had worked in far-flung parts of the British Empire in its glory days, but none had lived in South America. From an early age, he felt a strong pull from that continent and began to learn Spanish, on his own, to prepare for a visit there. While in his early twenties, he saw an ad seeking a teacher at a prep school in Argentina and applied. Thus employed, he began his great adventure---just the sort of adventure one hopes to have when he is young and fresh. The job was ideal because, on his long breaks between terms, he could travel extensively in South America. On one such jaunt, to Uruguay, and on his last day of vacation there, he unexpectedly encountered a grim scene as he walked along a beach: vast quantities of dead penguins, killed by oil in the water---oil legally released from oil transport ships in those days as they flushed out their tanks. It was heart-rending and put a depressive edge to his last day of holiday. But then he noticed a flicker of movement, and drawing closer, saw that one bird was still alive. The heart and soul of this book, and really his reason for writing this memoir, is to tell of his friendship with that bird, a Magellan penguin he named Juan Salvado (changed from 'Juan Salvador', John the Savior, to 'Juan Salvado', John the Saved). Here is a man in his sixties, looking back forty years and remembering with great clarity this beautiful friendship. Really, this book will steal your heart. It has it all: a bit of modern Argentine history, an introduction to the geography of the tip of South America and the people who live there, a bit of economics, environmentalism, and , above all, some fascinating facts about penguins. (The book also includes a helpful map of South America and some charming illustrations.) The epilogue is beautifully written and brought me to tears. I loved this book!
If you'd like, you may read an excerpt here:
http://penguinblog.co.uk/2015/11/05/e...
If you'd like, you may read an excerpt here:
http://penguinblog.co.uk/2015/11/05/e...
March 23, 2016
Quería leer este libro desde que lo publicaron porque la sinopsis me atrapó por completo. Me encantan los animales y si juntamos; animales más mar… me ganas. Y la verdad que no me arrepiento de haberlo leído porque me ha encantando conocer la historia de Tom y conocer al pequeño Juan Salvado.
Tengo que resaltar que me ha gustado mucho la forma de escribir del autor y como te cuenta su historia, es muy cercana, alegre y a su vez contiene muchos detalles. También tiene momentos divertidos y otros no tan divertidos pero es la pura realidad, nos gusten o no.
Aviso de que no toda la historia es sobre el pingüino, es la historia de Tom y nos cuenta las aventuras que vivió con él y también su paso por Argentina que en los años 70 que no pasaba por su mejor momento. Lo aviso porque las partes que no aparece el pingüino pueden ser un poco más pesadas y digamos que es lo que menos me ha gustado aunque me ha gustado conocer también esa parte de su historia.
Y no hace falta decir que Juan Salvado me ha ganado 100%, es tan adorable… Jo, yo también quiero un pingüino.
Os recomiendo mucho esta historia a todos los que os gusten los animales. Y para los que temáis por pasarlo mal... Os prometo que no es una historia muy triste, puede que se os escape una lagrimita en algún momento, pero sin llegar a sufrir mucho. Os lo prometo.
En resumen, merece mucho la pena leer Lo que aprendí de mi pingüino para conocer la historia de Tom y a su adorable pingüino, este pequeñín se colará en tu corazón y te sacara más de una sonrisa.
Reseña: http://anitavelabooks.blogspot.com.es...
Tengo que resaltar que me ha gustado mucho la forma de escribir del autor y como te cuenta su historia, es muy cercana, alegre y a su vez contiene muchos detalles. También tiene momentos divertidos y otros no tan divertidos pero es la pura realidad, nos gusten o no.
Aviso de que no toda la historia es sobre el pingüino, es la historia de Tom y nos cuenta las aventuras que vivió con él y también su paso por Argentina que en los años 70 que no pasaba por su mejor momento. Lo aviso porque las partes que no aparece el pingüino pueden ser un poco más pesadas y digamos que es lo que menos me ha gustado aunque me ha gustado conocer también esa parte de su historia.
Y no hace falta decir que Juan Salvado me ha ganado 100%, es tan adorable… Jo, yo también quiero un pingüino.
Os recomiendo mucho esta historia a todos los que os gusten los animales. Y para los que temáis por pasarlo mal... Os prometo que no es una historia muy triste, puede que se os escape una lagrimita en algún momento, pero sin llegar a sufrir mucho. Os lo prometo.
En resumen, merece mucho la pena leer Lo que aprendí de mi pingüino para conocer la historia de Tom y a su adorable pingüino, este pequeñín se colará en tu corazón y te sacara más de una sonrisa.
Reseña: http://anitavelabooks.blogspot.com.es...
June 15, 2025
A short and sweet book about the relationship between pinguin Juan Salvado and the author in his early twenties, when he was a teacher in Argentina.
”But at that moment the feeling of loss was almost overwhelming; the pain of the seperation is the price fate asks us for all the joy our loved ones gave us, and I was unconsolable.”
It tells of how Tom found the pinguin on a beach in Uruguay after an oilspill, smuggled him to school and how with some ups and downs Juan Salvado stole peoples hearts with his curiosity. The love for nature shines through the story, with camping trips in Patagonia, excursions per motorcycle to pinguin colonies and travels with gauchos on the pampa. Besides wanting a pinguin the book also made me want to go to Argentina, not only to explore its nature but also learn more about the history of the country, which I found pretty good for a short and seemingly simple book.
”But at that moment the feeling of loss was almost overwhelming; the pain of the seperation is the price fate asks us for all the joy our loved ones gave us, and I was unconsolable.”
It tells of how Tom found the pinguin on a beach in Uruguay after an oilspill, smuggled him to school and how with some ups and downs Juan Salvado stole peoples hearts with his curiosity. The love for nature shines through the story, with camping trips in Patagonia, excursions per motorcycle to pinguin colonies and travels with gauchos on the pampa. Besides wanting a pinguin the book also made me want to go to Argentina, not only to explore its nature but also learn more about the history of the country, which I found pretty good for a short and seemingly simple book.
December 1, 2015
Who told this guy that this could be a book? A blog post, maybe. But a book? There just isn't much substance here. "I learned about caring for people because of a penguin I adopted. But at the end I learned the penguin didn't care about me, it just wouldn't go back into the ocean by itself." The end.
May 1, 2017
enjoyed this book about a penguin being rescued and smuggled into argentina and how he became a hit at the boarding school. its also a very heart warming piece of non fiction too.
September 29, 2015
Hmmm...this book. Aside from the cover being adorable, I couldn't help but absolutely fall head over heels for Juan Salvador. I mean, a penguin, named Juan Salvador??? Instant love. He is probably my most beloved animal in a book, because I so desperately wanted to have him for myself. However, I wasn't always as in love with the direction of the story. I realize it was a true story, but I wanted more about the penguin! Rather than stories that didn't involve him, but involved the culture and politics of Argentina, I would have loved to hear from others about the affects of Juan on their lives. We heard about the author and Diego, but I have to believe there was more. I would have so much enjoyed it if the author would have been able to connect with those people from long ago to hear their accounts as well. That's why the book only got 3 out of 5 stars from me because the star just wasn't showcased as much as I felt he needed to be to make it great. In the meantime, I'm looking for a stray penguin...
* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *
* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *
April 16, 2021
Gewoon een fijn luchtig boek over een man die een pinguïn adopteert, terwijl hij in Argentinië woont. Prettig boek voor tussendoor en pinguïns zijn gewoon cooler dan cool.
Nog twee kleine dingetjes:
- Op een gegeven moment gaat het over een jongen die sociaal niet helemaal meekomt met de groep, en de manier waarop de andere jongens over hem praten wordt heel erg goed gepraat door de auteur. Dat vond ik een beetje irritant: 'De jongens die niet van een dagelijkse pot rugby hielden werden weleens als de 'zwakke broeders' beschouwd.'
- Het gaat dus over de pinguïn, maar ik had soms een tikkeltje het idee dat het best lastig was het boek te vullen met alleen pinguïn ':D. Er gebeurt namelijk ook weer niet superveel met het dier. Vooral zijn aankomst en de beginfase is spectaculair, maar daarna gaat 't een beetje z'n gangetje. Bij sommige semi-filosofische overpeinzingen (ook veel herhaling), vroeg ik me af: doe je dit nu echt omdat je dit als auteur wilt vertellen of zit je pagina's te vullen? Hij maakt naast de pinguïn meer dingen mee in Argentinië en af en toe dacht ik: 'was dit boek misschien nog interessanter geweest als de reis meer centraal had gestaan en de pinguïn een supertof bijfiguur was?'. Maar goed, pinguïns op de cover verkopen denk ik wel beter.
Conclusie: 7/10. Liked it. 3 sterren en dan nu nog een filmpje van de échte Juan Savaldo die aan het zwemmen is voor de liefhebbers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cagXt...
Nog twee kleine dingetjes:
- Op een gegeven moment gaat het over een jongen die sociaal niet helemaal meekomt met de groep, en de manier waarop de andere jongens over hem praten wordt heel erg goed gepraat door de auteur. Dat vond ik een beetje irritant: 'De jongens die niet van een dagelijkse pot rugby hielden werden weleens als de 'zwakke broeders' beschouwd.'
- Het gaat dus over de pinguïn, maar ik had soms een tikkeltje het idee dat het best lastig was het boek te vullen met alleen pinguïn ':D. Er gebeurt namelijk ook weer niet superveel met het dier. Vooral zijn aankomst en de beginfase is spectaculair, maar daarna gaat 't een beetje z'n gangetje. Bij sommige semi-filosofische overpeinzingen (ook veel herhaling), vroeg ik me af: doe je dit nu echt omdat je dit als auteur wilt vertellen of zit je pagina's te vullen? Hij maakt naast de pinguïn meer dingen mee in Argentinië en af en toe dacht ik: 'was dit boek misschien nog interessanter geweest als de reis meer centraal had gestaan en de pinguïn een supertof bijfiguur was?'. Maar goed, pinguïns op de cover verkopen denk ik wel beter.
Conclusie: 7/10. Liked it. 3 sterren en dan nu nog een filmpje van de échte Juan Savaldo die aan het zwemmen is voor de liefhebbers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cagXt...
August 7, 2023
Tom Michell is going down to teach college in Argentina. While visiting Uruguay, he comes across and rescues a Magellan penguin from an oil spill that he ends up adopting (or is it the other way around?) and names Juan Salvador. This book is a memoir depicting Michell's relationship with this adorable Megellan penguin and how he warms the hearts of Michell's students, the housekeeper where Michell lives, and others, such as a boy named Diego that is learning how to swim and he even encourages a young man to ask a woman out on a date.
This is such a heartwarming book and Michell does everything he is able to provide us with as many stories related to Juan Salvador and share as much relevant information as possible. With that being said, he is left straying into territory that I find irrelevant to this story.
Four stars is as much as I can rate this book, because it fulfilled its purpose by entertaining and informing in the best way possible. This was Michell's first book and he did a fine job telling his first story, one that proved to be memorable.
This is such a heartwarming book and Michell does everything he is able to provide us with as many stories related to Juan Salvador and share as much relevant information as possible. With that being said, he is left straying into territory that I find irrelevant to this story.
Four stars is as much as I can rate this book, because it fulfilled its purpose by entertaining and informing in the best way possible. This was Michell's first book and he did a fine job telling his first story, one that proved to be memorable.
January 17, 2016
This is such a gem of a book!! When i read the blurb and saw the cover I knew it was for me and it has been an absolutely delightful read!
It's a memoir of Tom Michell who, in his 20s in the 1970's, went travelling to Argentina to work in a boys boarding school so there were really interesting insights into the political side of South America at the time, but the main part of the story is how he encountered a Penguin on an oil slick covered beach and ends up adopting him to restore him to full health but he soon becomes part of his and the schools everyday life. Everyone is fascinated by Juan Salvador - the penguins name! - and it's amazing to see the impact he had on everybody he met. Some lovely little illustrations as well!
A pleasure to read!!
It's a memoir of Tom Michell who, in his 20s in the 1970's, went travelling to Argentina to work in a boys boarding school so there were really interesting insights into the political side of South America at the time, but the main part of the story is how he encountered a Penguin on an oil slick covered beach and ends up adopting him to restore him to full health but he soon becomes part of his and the schools everyday life. Everyone is fascinated by Juan Salvador - the penguins name! - and it's amazing to see the impact he had on everybody he met. Some lovely little illustrations as well!
A pleasure to read!!
April 26, 2016
What a charming memoir, featuring the adventures of a young Englishman in Argentina and the penguin he rescued/kidnapped off a Uruguayan beach in an ill-advised fit of conscience. I was particularly amused by the way that he managed to improvise his way through customs back to Argentina with the bird in tow. In our day of increased security, monkey shines like this are definitely a thing of the past. Michell was reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull when he discovered his penguin—Juan Salvador Gaviota in Spanish. In an instant, the penguin acquires his name: Juan Salvador Penguino.
Far more adventurous that I ever was or will be, Mr. Michell takes a first job at a boy’s school in Argentina during a restless time in that lovely country’s history. The monetary inflation in 1975 Argentina could double the prices of things in weeks, days, sometimes even hours. My first visit to beautiful Argentina was in 2002 and the banks were often closed for exactly the same reason! While we were in Buenos Aires, those who needed local currency went down to the leather-merchant just a few doors down from our hotel. He would look at your money, look in the air as if communing with the gods of commerce, and then offer you a sum of Argentine pesos. I have no idea if we got a reasonable exchange rate, but that should be the least of one’s worries when travelling. If you are well enough off to do the travelling, you can take a small haircut on monetary conversions, I think.
I have also been out to the Magellenic penguin colony at Punta Tombo that Michell describes so vividly. Nearly three decades later, there were (ineffective) barriers in place to keep tourists and penguins separate. Despite them, there were people manhandling some of the birds and treating them more like amusements than like wild animals. I was travelling with a small group, but entire cruise ships were disgorging vast crowds of people into the natural area. I was far happier on the following day when our local guide took us to a smaller, more remote rookery where we were the only people present.
Being a lover of penguins (all species), I could see myself falling completely in love with Juan Salvador just as many of the people from the boys’ school do. J.S. becomes a dear friend and confidant to many of the staff and boys as well as Mr. Michell.
Now I want to listen to tango!
Far more adventurous that I ever was or will be, Mr. Michell takes a first job at a boy’s school in Argentina during a restless time in that lovely country’s history. The monetary inflation in 1975 Argentina could double the prices of things in weeks, days, sometimes even hours. My first visit to beautiful Argentina was in 2002 and the banks were often closed for exactly the same reason! While we were in Buenos Aires, those who needed local currency went down to the leather-merchant just a few doors down from our hotel. He would look at your money, look in the air as if communing with the gods of commerce, and then offer you a sum of Argentine pesos. I have no idea if we got a reasonable exchange rate, but that should be the least of one’s worries when travelling. If you are well enough off to do the travelling, you can take a small haircut on monetary conversions, I think.
I have also been out to the Magellenic penguin colony at Punta Tombo that Michell describes so vividly. Nearly three decades later, there were (ineffective) barriers in place to keep tourists and penguins separate. Despite them, there were people manhandling some of the birds and treating them more like amusements than like wild animals. I was travelling with a small group, but entire cruise ships were disgorging vast crowds of people into the natural area. I was far happier on the following day when our local guide took us to a smaller, more remote rookery where we were the only people present.
Being a lover of penguins (all species), I could see myself falling completely in love with Juan Salvador just as many of the people from the boys’ school do. J.S. becomes a dear friend and confidant to many of the staff and boys as well as Mr. Michell.
Now I want to listen to tango!
June 11, 2017
I initially selected this book for the quirkiness of the story - a teacher residing in an Argentinean boarding school with his pet penguin - but I soon become enthralled with the political backdrop.
Set in the mid 70's in the dying days of the final Peronist regime the book describes how soaring inflation impacted on the Argentinean people and tells in an understandable way, what happens when an economy overheats. As a teacher, our narration had a roof over his head, no rent to pay, 3 meals a day and a steady income. Every thing else he wanted he got by means of a barter system - he bought whatever few items were available in the shops and tried to swap them for what you actually wanted. Goods could double in price from the time he picked them up to the time he got to the checkout. There was no arguing - if he didn't want them, well the next customer would. Eventually things came to a head and there was an army coup.
I couldn't help thinking that the authors had to be a bit insane to leave the safety of home in England to travel to Argentina at such a dangerous time, but he was an ardent adventurer. During school vacations he explored South America. Whilst in Uruguay he can across a group of penguin washed up on the beach in an oil spill, found a single survivor and rescued him. The author is passionate in his love of nature and his disgust at the impact humanity is having on this planet:
"......an enormous number of species the world over, including penguins, have suffered population declines of eighty or ninety per cent and are now considered ‘endangered’, while others have become extinct"
The relationship that developed between bird and man, and also between the bird and the school community at large,was astonishing. There are many LOL moments as the reader can't help picturing this little penguin roaming the school grounds or rolling down a staircase. The author has a love of animals and a belief that they understand more than most give them credit for (I'm with him on that one!):
"One day, I believe, we will be able to confirm that many animals have the capacity to understand and process information and experience emotions to a far more sophisticated degree than opinion currently holds."
The story is very readable and totally convincing, both in terms of the human/bird interactions and the wider political and economy situation. I'm very glad I read this one ;-D
Set in the mid 70's in the dying days of the final Peronist regime the book describes how soaring inflation impacted on the Argentinean people and tells in an understandable way, what happens when an economy overheats. As a teacher, our narration had a roof over his head, no rent to pay, 3 meals a day and a steady income. Every thing else he wanted he got by means of a barter system - he bought whatever few items were available in the shops and tried to swap them for what you actually wanted. Goods could double in price from the time he picked them up to the time he got to the checkout. There was no arguing - if he didn't want them, well the next customer would. Eventually things came to a head and there was an army coup.
I couldn't help thinking that the authors had to be a bit insane to leave the safety of home in England to travel to Argentina at such a dangerous time, but he was an ardent adventurer. During school vacations he explored South America. Whilst in Uruguay he can across a group of penguin washed up on the beach in an oil spill, found a single survivor and rescued him. The author is passionate in his love of nature and his disgust at the impact humanity is having on this planet:
"......an enormous number of species the world over, including penguins, have suffered population declines of eighty or ninety per cent and are now considered ‘endangered’, while others have become extinct"
The relationship that developed between bird and man, and also between the bird and the school community at large,was astonishing. There are many LOL moments as the reader can't help picturing this little penguin roaming the school grounds or rolling down a staircase. The author has a love of animals and a belief that they understand more than most give them credit for (I'm with him on that one!):
"One day, I believe, we will be able to confirm that many animals have the capacity to understand and process information and experience emotions to a far more sophisticated degree than opinion currently holds."
The story is very readable and totally convincing, both in terms of the human/bird interactions and the wider political and economy situation. I'm very glad I read this one ;-D
April 7, 2025
What a lovely surprise! From the very first words of the narration, I thought, “I know that voice...” A quick Google search later, and I discovered it was Bill Nighy! As a huge fan of his, I was so excited to hear him narrate the book. He does an amazing job bringing the story to life.
I came across the trailer for the movie, which was released in 2024, and it was enough to spark my interest and make me look up the book it was based on. I love when that happens! Sometimes the path to discovering certain books isn’t always straightforward, but when it clicks, it’s so rewarding.
I’m about 60% through the audiobook now, and I’m really enjoying it. The story is a true account of an Englishman in his mid-twenties, working at a boys' boarding school in Buenos Aires in the 1970s. During a vacation in Uruguay, he comes across a Magellanic penguin covered in oil and barely clinging to life. He names the penguin Juan Salvado and takes him back to Argentina, where the penguin ends up changing his life in unexpected ways.
It's a heartwarming story, especially for animal lovers, and knowing it’s based on real events makes it even more special. If you enjoy stories about the bond between humans and animals, The Penguin Lessons is definitely worth a listen. Highly recommend!
That being said, after finishing the book, I’ll admit I was hoping for a bit more penguin and more interaction between the human and animal. While the penguin plays an important role, the book is more of a memoir that delves deeply into the author’s time in Argentina and his personal reflections on the country and his experiences. It’s a beautiful retelling of a moment in his life, but I would have loved to see a little more of the heartwarming relationship between man and penguin. Still, it’s a wonderful read that I think many will enjoy!
Also, the audiobook is only about 6 hours long, so it was a quick and easy listen for me. Perfect for when you’re in the mood for a heartwarming story that doesn’t take too long to enjoy!
I came across the trailer for the movie, which was released in 2024, and it was enough to spark my interest and make me look up the book it was based on. I love when that happens! Sometimes the path to discovering certain books isn’t always straightforward, but when it clicks, it’s so rewarding.
I’m about 60% through the audiobook now, and I’m really enjoying it. The story is a true account of an Englishman in his mid-twenties, working at a boys' boarding school in Buenos Aires in the 1970s. During a vacation in Uruguay, he comes across a Magellanic penguin covered in oil and barely clinging to life. He names the penguin Juan Salvado and takes him back to Argentina, where the penguin ends up changing his life in unexpected ways.
It's a heartwarming story, especially for animal lovers, and knowing it’s based on real events makes it even more special. If you enjoy stories about the bond between humans and animals, The Penguin Lessons is definitely worth a listen. Highly recommend!
That being said, after finishing the book, I’ll admit I was hoping for a bit more penguin and more interaction between the human and animal. While the penguin plays an important role, the book is more of a memoir that delves deeply into the author’s time in Argentina and his personal reflections on the country and his experiences. It’s a beautiful retelling of a moment in his life, but I would have loved to see a little more of the heartwarming relationship between man and penguin. Still, it’s a wonderful read that I think many will enjoy!
Also, the audiobook is only about 6 hours long, so it was a quick and easy listen for me. Perfect for when you’re in the mood for a heartwarming story that doesn’t take too long to enjoy!
April 27, 2019
Biću iskrena - malo mi je falilo da od knjige odustanem na nekih 60%. Završila sam je čisto da vidim kako će priča S PINGVINOM ići dalje, a poglavlja i priču o njegovim putovanjima i nekim sporednim stvarima sam preskakala, no shame in that.
Negde sam pročitala komentar da je ovo mogao biti dobar blog post, a ne knjiga, i s tim se slažem: ostavila bi mnogo jači utisak da je duplo kraća, ali onda ne bi baš bilo dovoljno materijala za jednu knjigu.
Priča je okej, nosi bitnu poruku, ali je preterano razvodnjena.
Negde sam pročitala komentar da je ovo mogao biti dobar blog post, a ne knjiga, i s tim se slažem: ostavila bi mnogo jači utisak da je duplo kraća, ali onda ne bi baš bilo dovoljno materijala za jednu knjigu.
Priča je okej, nosi bitnu poruku, ali je preterano razvodnjena.
February 5, 2021
This was ok. Loved the penguin drawings and his South American juncture eyes. But it wasn't all that. What I was expecting from the hype of marketing and reviews. Both aspects of expecting.
It was extremely hard for me to connect with this writer. Off on his own for singular adventures. And I love birds and have had cockatiels for years and years as pets. That's exactly why I was almost shocked to understand at the 3/4ths point of the book that this entire associative experience lasted about 8 or 9 months. Try 30 or 35 years! Then you can really understand the expression in the beady eyes. My Addie is 10 now and she will probably outlive me.
Birds are smart, some have immense memory. And this little one left a lasting memory for many in the author's school, quite beyond just himself.
To be truthful the memoir type format was ok. But just. I still didn't feel like I knew any real depth of the culture or much more than the ego aspect of the writer. I like my memoirs to have a deeper personality identity of soul search or something. This was sweet but the opposite.
It was extremely hard for me to connect with this writer. Off on his own for singular adventures. And I love birds and have had cockatiels for years and years as pets. That's exactly why I was almost shocked to understand at the 3/4ths point of the book that this entire associative experience lasted about 8 or 9 months. Try 30 or 35 years! Then you can really understand the expression in the beady eyes. My Addie is 10 now and she will probably outlive me.
Birds are smart, some have immense memory. And this little one left a lasting memory for many in the author's school, quite beyond just himself.
To be truthful the memoir type format was ok. But just. I still didn't feel like I knew any real depth of the culture or much more than the ego aspect of the writer. I like my memoirs to have a deeper personality identity of soul search or something. This was sweet but the opposite.
May 5, 2018
It’s hard to resist this charming account of a young British man who went to Argentina in the 1970s and accidentally adopted a penguin. Michell is creditably thoughtful and empathetic in his assessments of the country and the environment, despite being a self-confessed irresponsible white boy. He evokes Juan Salvado, the penguin he saved from an oil spill, with great affection and vividness. The reader cannot help loving such a charismatic and fascinating creature. Michell admits that he and everyone else who was fond of Juan Salvador anthropomorphised him no end (for instance, assuming he was male). This behaviour is entirely understandable, though. Michell worked in a boarding school and his pupils were of course enchanted with the penguin living among them. Michell analyses their interactions in a light-hearted style:
‘The Penguin Lessons’ isn’t quite substantial enough to be a travelogue, although it includes some striking snapshots of 70s Argentina. The focus is of course the penguin, who won over everyone he met and clearly continues to do so via the literary medium. What an endearing tale.
This impression of giving his undivided consideration to whatever was said came from the way Juan Salvado cocked his head, alternately focussing with one eye or ear at a time. His visitors could trust his discretion absolutely and they could rely on his unconditional support. Inability to speak was no obstacle for Juan Salvado; his eyes gave him all the lucid eloquence of a great orator. Possibly, I mused, it was the fact that his diet was fish, said to be so good for the brain, that gave his intimates confidence in the thoughtful wisdom of his answers.
‘The Penguin Lessons’ isn’t quite substantial enough to be a travelogue, although it includes some striking snapshots of 70s Argentina. The focus is of course the penguin, who won over everyone he met and clearly continues to do so via the literary medium. What an endearing tale.
July 29, 2017
A mostly-true memoir set in 1975 in South America. John Michell is a young Englishman teaching at St. George's, an Argentinian boarding school college. He rescues a small penguin from an oil slick in Uruguay, and the adorable bird bonds with him. Won't leave him. Michell names the imprinted penguin Juan Salvador (John Saved) and shares his campus housing with him. The whole school grows to love the little fellow.
Audiobook narrated superbly by the English actor Bill Nighy.
There are a few videos of this penguin posted on YouTube.
Quibbles: The tale is sometimes quite endearing, interesting, and engrossing, but there just isn't enough here for such a long book. Some scenes felt like trivial digressions, including the bar fight and his Irish professor friend. However, I liked hearing about the the landscape, the culture, the people, and the politics. Now I want to see Argentina.
If you like biographical memoirs about animals, I can personally recommend a few more:
The Elephant Whisperer
The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew At His Side
Seabiscuit: An American Legend
Babylon's Ark, by Lawrence Anthony
Audiobook narrated superbly by the English actor Bill Nighy.
There are a few videos of this penguin posted on YouTube.
Quibbles: The tale is sometimes quite endearing, interesting, and engrossing, but there just isn't enough here for such a long book. Some scenes felt like trivial digressions, including the bar fight and his Irish professor friend. However, I liked hearing about the the landscape, the culture, the people, and the politics. Now I want to see Argentina.
If you like biographical memoirs about animals, I can personally recommend a few more:
The Elephant Whisperer
The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew At His Side
Seabiscuit: An American Legend
Babylon's Ark, by Lawrence Anthony
July 12, 2017
Just a quick read. True story of an English guy who rescues a penguin from a stack of dead penguins on a beach in Uruguay, choked by an oil spillage. He then cleans it up (penguin, not beach), becomes its best pal (because it won't part with him) and takes it with him across the border into Argentina where he's a teacher in an international boarding school. The penguin, Juan Salvador, quickly becomes the school celeb and is loved by all until his passing (JS, not English guy).
A heart-warming tale really and well told, though the author was guilty of rambling odd times, subjects about which I wasn't too interested. Just wanted to know what happened to our little friend. As the tale drew to a close, I admit I fell for our little hero. Not the conventional protagonist and a little short for my usual taste, but reports of his beautiful eyes, his social skills, his intent talent for listening without becoming bored and without interrupting, and all this from a guy (!) . . . naturally, I was intrigued. This happened in the 1970s, but the notes at the end of the book even talked about a little footage of JS, discovered among English guy's private stuff years later. I was curious enough to see if it had been posted on YouTube. It had.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cagXt...
A heart-warming tale really and well told, though the author was guilty of rambling odd times, subjects about which I wasn't too interested. Just wanted to know what happened to our little friend. As the tale drew to a close, I admit I fell for our little hero. Not the conventional protagonist and a little short for my usual taste, but reports of his beautiful eyes, his social skills, his intent talent for listening without becoming bored and without interrupting, and all this from a guy (!) . . . naturally, I was intrigued. This happened in the 1970s, but the notes at the end of the book even talked about a little footage of JS, discovered among English guy's private stuff years later. I was curious enough to see if it had been posted on YouTube. It had.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cagXt...
December 23, 2015
I’ll admit the penguin on the cover was what first attracted my attention to this book but, having read the synopsis, I was intrigued to read more - and I’m so glad I did! It is a heart warming tale of how Juan Salvador Pingüino came to be rescued from an oil slick then travelled from Uruguay to a boarding school in Argentina where he’s adopted by the staff and students alike.
The narrator for the story is the author, Tom Michell, and this is part recount, part story, part travelogue and entirely entrancing. It is a brilliant, fun read, as the author shares his experiences and imagined conversations with Juan Salvado( r ). I’ll let you imagine some of the amazing, often hilarious, antics as a little penguin joins a boarding school then suggest that you go read the book yourself to find out just what happens.
This is a fun, light hearted read - brilliant to chuckle along to!
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for this, an honest review.
For more of my reviews, please visit https://splashesintobooks.wordpress.com
The narrator for the story is the author, Tom Michell, and this is part recount, part story, part travelogue and entirely entrancing. It is a brilliant, fun read, as the author shares his experiences and imagined conversations with Juan Salvado( r ). I’ll let you imagine some of the amazing, often hilarious, antics as a little penguin joins a boarding school then suggest that you go read the book yourself to find out just what happens.
This is a fun, light hearted read - brilliant to chuckle along to!
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley, too, for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for this, an honest review.
For more of my reviews, please visit https://splashesintobooks.wordpress.com
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