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Quick answer: If you or your child loves Mr. Popper's Penguins, read Paddington, Stuart Little, The Cricket in Times Square and The Story of Doctor Dolittle. All are gentle, funny classics about animals who disrupt ordinary human lives.
Richard and Florence Atwater's 1938 Newbery Honor book follows Mr. Popper, a house painter who dreams of the Antarctic, and the penguins who arrive and change his family's life. It is short, silly and sweet. The books below offer similar animal comedies and whimsical classics for young readers.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddington | Michael Bond | Ages 5-9 | polite bear |
| Stuart Little | E. B. White | Ages 6-10 | tiny hero |
| Charlotte's Web | E. B. White | Ages 6-12 | classic friendship |
| The Cricket in Times Square | George Selden | Ages 8-12 | city friends |
| Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH | Robert C. O'Brien | Ages 8-12 | classic adventure |
| The Story of Doctor Dolittle | Hugh Lofting | Ages 7-11 | talking animals |
| Winnie-the-Pooh | A. A. Milne | Ages 3-8 | gentle stories |
| Curious George | H. A. Rey | Ages 3-7 | curious monkey |
| Henry Huggins | Beverly Cleary | Ages 7-10 | boy and dog |
| Homer Price | Robert McCloskey | Ages 7-11 | small-town tall tales |
| The Twenty-One Balloons | William Pene du Bois | Ages 9-13 | strange adventure |
| Flat Stanley | Jeff Brown | Ages 5-9 | silly adventure |
| Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea | Cynthia Rylant | Ages 5-8 | gentle friendship |
| Chitty Chitty Bang Bang | Ian Fleming | Ages 7-11 | magical car |
| Make Way for Ducklings | Robert McCloskey | Ages 3-7 | city ducks |
1. Paddington by Michael Bond
A bear from Peru arrives in London and gets into scrapes. Funny and warm.
Best for: polite bear.
2. Stuart Little by E. B. White
A mouse-like boy sets out on an adventure. Whimsical and odd.
Best for: tiny hero.
3. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
A spider saves a pig by weaving words. A timeless story of loyalty.
Best for: classic friendship.
4. The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
A cricket, a mouse and a cat live in a New York subway station. Charming and musical.
Best for: city friends.
5. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
A widowed mouse asks for help from a colony of clever rats. A Newbery winner.
Best for: classic adventure.
6. The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
A doctor learns to speak with animals and travels to Africa. Gentle and old-fashioned.
Best for: talking animals.
7. Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne
A bear and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood. Kind, funny and timeless.
Best for: gentle stories.
8. Curious George by H. A. Rey
A monkey gets into trouble in the city. A picture-book classic.
Best for: curious monkey.
9. Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
Henry brings home a stray dog and gets into scrapes. Warm and funny.
Best for: boy and dog.
10. Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Homer's town is full of funny events, including a runaway doughnut machine. Quirky and charming.
Best for: small-town tall tales.
11. The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
A professor's balloon trip lands on the island of Krakatoa. Inventive and funny.
Best for: strange adventure.
12. Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
A boy is flattened by a bulletin board and becomes an adventurer. Quirky and fun.
Best for: silly adventure.
13. Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea by Cynthia Rylant
An old man and his cat share small adventures. Sweet and calm.
Best for: gentle friendship.
14. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
A family has adventures in a magical car. Lively and charming.
Best for: magical car.
15. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
A duck family crosses a busy Boston street. A Caldecott winner.
Best for: city ducks.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Mr. Popper's Penguins: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For other animal comedies choose Paddington, Stuart Little or The Cricket in Times Square. For adventure pick Mrs. Frisby or The Story of Doctor Dolittle. For picture books read Curious George, Winnie-the-Pooh or Make Way for Ducklings. For small-town humour try Henry Huggins or Homer Price. Mr. Popper's Penguins is short, so it makes a good read-aloud. The book was written in the 1930s, so some details may feel old-fashioned, but the humour holds up, and modern children still enjoy the idea of a house full of penguins. If your child enjoys the idea of unlikely pets, look for other stories about animals in unexpected places. Mr. Popper's Penguins is also available in illustrated editions with the original Robert Lawson drawings, which add to the humour. Reading it aloud takes only a few evenings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mr. Popper's Penguins about?
A house painter receives a penguin and ends up with a family of penguins.
Who wrote it?
Richard and Florence Atwater.
When was it published?
1938.
Did it win an award?
It was a Newbery Honor book in 1939.
Is there a film?
Yes, a 2011 film starring Jim Carrey, though it is quite different from the book.
What age is it for?
Roughly ages 6 to 10.
Is it a good read-aloud?
Yes, it is short and funny.
What should I read next?
Try Stuart Little or Paddington.
Are the penguins real in the story?
Yes, they are real penguins, who live in the family's refrigerator at first.
Does it have a happy ending?
Yes. It is a light, cheerful story.