The Penguin of Ilha Grande From Animal Rescue to Extraordinary Friendship

A man rescues a penguin off the coast of Brazil and finds a lifelong connection in this delightful true story about the power of friendship.

When an oil-covered penguin washes up in Brazil, Seu João saves the penguin's life. Soon man and penguin are friends, and Dindim the penguin won't return to the wild. At last Dindim swims away, only to return four months later! For seven years, Dindim the penguin lived with Seu João in Brazil for eight months a year, disappearing for four months after his annual molting.


Readers will enjoy discovering the wildlife of Brazil while learning about the impacts of oil spills and the importance of conservation. This inspiring, true account of real and unusual friendships is sure to win the hearts of nature and animal lovers alike.

Shannon Earle makes time to write between teaching kids outdoors, parenting her three daughters, and preparing piles of vegetables from her family's urban homestead in Takoma Park, MD. She has visited Brazil several times, including Ilha Grande, where this story takes place. This is her first book.

Renato Alarcão has been an illustrator since he was a child, logging his first paying freelance job at age nine. He has a master's degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and teaches art. Renato is the illustrator of Soccer Star, Roberto's Trip to the Top, and Finding the Music/En pos de la música. He lives in a coastal town across the bay from Rio de Janeiro with his wife Rosa and their two sons. Renato has visited Ilha Grande a few times, and he wishes he were as good in the water as a penguin. www.alarcao.com/br