Typically, the book comes first; then some smart film director gets his hands on it and turns it into a movie. With "Happy Feet," though, it was the film that came first. But if you haven't watched it -- or if you want the adventures of Mumble the penguin to be your own imaginings -- try the book. Woodward's straightforward "novelization" of the film has no real surprises, apart from the ones in the original film, of course. But the story of the emperor penguins of Antarctica who find their one true love through their "heartsongs" is a moving one. Every emperor penguin has a heartsong, and it's the voice he hears inside. That's how Mumble's parents, Memphis and Norma Jean, found each other, by crooning their heartsongs. But Mumble can't sing to save his life; he can only tap away with his feet in a beat that's all his own. The conservative penguin colony cannot accept anyone so different and blames Mumble for the fish shortage they have been facing. Shunned by everyone he has known, Mumble embarks on an epic journey to save Emperor Land by finding out who's taking all the fish. Turns out the culprits are humans (are we surprised?), and now Mumble must confront them to change their ways. Can his feet -- for they are the only language he knows -- get the message across? This heart-warming tale gives you an inside glimpse into the ways of Antarctica's penguins and makes you admire them. It also has a powerful environmental message: We must learn how to want less; how to take only what we need; and how to share the bounty of this beautiful planet with all the others who live here.
Note: For children 6 to 10 years. If you like this book, also worth watching is "March of the Penguins," another remarkable film about emperor penguins.
This is a first. Eoin Colfer comes out with the latest adventure of his boy-genius Artemis Fowl, and there are mostly bad things to say about it. Particularly for Artemis fans who have read Colfer at his writing best, "Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony" will come as a huge letdown.