The Penguin Lessons

November 16, 2015
In this lively and endearing memoir, Britain-born Michell narrates an unexpected encounter on a Uruguayan sojourn in the 1970s, and its surprising consequences. The 23-year-old Michell is en route to his position as an English teacher at a boarding school in Argentina when he happens upon a beach littered with thousands of migrating Magellanic penguins that had been felled by an oil slick dumped at sea. Sickened by the devastating spectacle, Michell decides to save the life of the lone living penguin. He transports the "tar-sodden" bird back to his temporary apartments, where, undeterred by the frightened creature's nasty bite, he manages to clean his captive. In one of many miraculous moments, the penguin swiftly realizes that Michell is attempting to save him. Michelle names him Juan Salvado, John Saved, but also Juan Salvador, John Savior, because of his redemptive qualities. In clever, entertaining vignettes accompanied by simple yet engaging illustrations, Michell recalls secretly transporting Juan on a bus, nervously sneaking him through customs during a chaotic period in Argentina's history, and introducing the bird to a community of 300 boys and school personnel, where he becomes the rugby team mascot, an acrobatic (non-chlorinated) pool swimmer, and a beloved confidante to many who delight in feeding him sprats. Michell, now a grandfather living in Cornwall, interweaves introspection, travel tales, and penguin facts in a charming story that also reveals the charismatic nature of this gregarious and increasingly endangered species.