Fall in Antarctica begins in April, when Emperor penguins gather on the sea ice to breed. A particular female penguin journeys to Halley Bay to find a mate and lay an egg. Once she does, she returns to the ocean to feed and regain strength while her mate keeps the egg warm over several weeks. In July the female come back to raise her chick, tag-teaming with her mate to keep the young penguin warm and hunt for its food. But the next year, climate change has altered Halley Bay; it’s no longer a safe place to lay an egg. This penguin and others must find a new place to breed where the sea ice is still reliable. An ending that feels intentionally ambiguous (the female “has found a new place to raise a chick, where the sea ice can be trusted. … At least for now.”) serves to both sound an alarm and offer some hope. Final notes provide more information about Emperor penguins, climate change, and what people might do to effect positive change. Stunning mixed media illustrations evoke the dramatic natural setting where the penguin colony raises their young. (Ages 4–8)

Enter the dark Antarctic winter, where a pair of emperor penguins share the task of keeping their young one alive—and discover how fighting climate change is key to their survival.


As harsh winter descends and other birds move toward warmth, lines of emperor penguins appear in search of the perfect ice for breeding and raising their chicks. One wise old empress finds her mate, and after laying a single, huge egg, heads to the stormy ocean to hunt for fish. For weeks, her mate must warm the egg in his pouch, huddling against blizzards and bitter cold. When his mate returns, the two take turns fishing and minding their newly hatched chick until it’s big enough to stay warm on its own. Luminously illustrated by Catherine Rayner, Nicola Davies’s engrossing narrative expands the focus from one emperor family to the plight of the breed as it faces displacement due to climate change. An afterword details the loss of many emperor chicks at Halley Bay after a storm broke up the ice under one of the largest penguin colonies—and encourages readers to help protect the environment so these extraordinary survivors will continue to be found in the Antarctic for generations to come.