The Penguin Lessons

The unique, moving and heartwarming true story of an unlikely friendship which captured imaginations around the world . . .
'I can't remember the last time I read a book that made me smile so continuously' 5* Reader Review
'How could a penguin transform so many lives? Read it and see. You'll not regret it' 5* Reader Review
'Delightful, uplifting, enjoyable, fun and beautifully written' 5* Reader Review
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Tom Michell is in his roaring twenties: single, free-spirited and seeking adventure. He has a plane ticket to South America, a teaching position in a prestigious Argentine boarding school, and endless summer holidays.
What he doesn't need is a pet. What he really doesn't need is a pet penguin.
But while on holiday in Uruguay he spots a penguin struggling in an oil slick and knows he has to help. And then the penguin refuses to leave his side . . .
Clearly Tom has no choice but to smuggle it across the border, through customs, and back to school. He names him Juan Salvador.
Whether it's as the rugby team's mascot, the housekeeper's confidant, the host at Tom's parties or the most flamboyant swimming coach in world history, Juan Salvador transforms the lives of all he meets - including Tom, who discovers a compadre like no other . . .
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AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 2
'A much-beloved tale about a much-beloved bird . . . Heart-warmingly eccentric' Guardian
'So touching that I didn't want it to end. I really loved this book' Michael Bond, creator of Paddington
'Charming' Daily Mail
'One of the most touching tales we've read all year' Heat

Tom Michell was born and grew up on the rural downs of southern England, where he grew to love animals, birds and plants. After living in Argentina he returned home and settled in Cornwall where he helps with the family business, tends a small plot of what he calls 'good Cornish soil' and sings with a local choir.
He is an amateur artist and in his spare time he draws and paints subjects from the wildlife around his home, specializing in birds of prey.
Tom is an enthusiastic proponent of understanding how humans can live in genuinely sustainable ways. He is married with four grown-up children and three grandchildren.