One Day on Our Blue Planet...in the Antarctic

Synopsis

From breakfast to dinner, dusk to dawn, children will love spending the day with this curious penguin chick. In this volume of Ella Bailey's picture book exploration of the daily lives of baby animals, we head to the ice shelf to meet a young penguin chick. What does she and her family eat? How many brothers and sisters does she have? And what do they do for fun?

Summary

Chapter 1

The first chapter of One Day on Our Blue Planet…in the Antarctic introduces readers to Pingo, an emperor penguin. Pingo is a brave explorer making his way across the frigid Antarctic waters. During his journey, readers learn about the adaptations of emperor penguins that help them survive in regions with extreme temperatures, such as the thick layer of blubber that helps insulate their bodies, as well as the fascinating of huddling together in a group. Readers also get a glimpse of the beauty of the Antarctic landscape and its abundant seal, penguin, and whale populations. As Pingo continues his journey, readers experience the many challenges that emperor penguins face as predators of the sea, including large whales and the famously toothy leopard seal.

Chapter 2

In Chapter 2 of “One Day on Our Blue Planet…in the Antarctic”, readers follow Pingo and his family as they travel to their breeding grounds. Along the way, readers gain insight into the various stages of an emperor penguin’s life cycle, as they go from chicks to juveniles and eventually mature adults. Readers also get to learn about the daily lives of all five species of penguins living in the Antarctic, and their distinct behaviors such as the emperor penguins’ propensity for stealing eggs. Readers also explore some of the potential threats to the penguin's existence, such as the Antarctic weather, global warming, and human interference.

Chapter 3

The third chapter of One Day on Our Blue Planet…in the Antarctic explores the remarkable feat of raising an emperor penguin chick. Readers get to experience what it would be like to witness a female emperor penguin lay an egg and a male standing guard over it with only their feet to protect it. As the couple continues their breeding ritual, the day-by-day process of raising a healthy emperor penguin chick is discussed, and readers learn about the importance of teamwork in order for the parents to be successful. Unfortunately, readers also learn about the dangers that penguin chicks face, such as illness, starvation, and predators.

Chapter 4

The fourth chapter of One Day on Our Blue Planet…in the Antarctic zooms out to take a bigger look at the Antarctic food chain. Readers learn about the different components of the food web and the complicated interactions between various species, such as the emperor penguin’s dependence on krill and squid as a food source. Additionally, readers come to understand the significant contribution of the krill population to the Antarctic ecosystem, as the polar ecosystem relies heavily on this species as its cornerstone. Furthermore, readers gain insight into the larger implications of climate change for the Antarctic food web, as the warmer temperatures disrupt krill distribution and limit food sources for emperor penguins.

Chapter 5

The fifth and final chapter of “One Day on Our Blue Planet…in the Antarctic” focuses on the human impact on the Antarctic. Here, readers learn about the various ways humans are disrupting the Antarctic environment, such as the introduction of non-native species and overfishing. Additionally, readers gain insight into the importance of preserving the Antarctic environment for the protection of emperor penguins and other species living in the region. This includes understanding the large-scale effects of global warming on the Antarctic landscape, making sure to eliminate any human activity that may be harmful to both the environment and wildlife, and developing more sustainable ways to harvest resources from the Antarctic.