March of the Penguins: Companion to the Major Motion Picture
Moviegoers can relive the excitement of watching the emperor penguins' life cycle with this companion book to the second most popular documentary in American film history and the highest-grossing natural history film of all time. Actually, this fine book works as a stand-alone volume, thanks to its charming photographs and revealing text. As fans of the movie know, the emperor penguins have been trekking hundreds of miles from the sea to their breeding grounds in Antarctica every year for millennia. They do this against 150-mile-an-hour winds and in minus 70 degree temperatures, dodging predatory birds and other dangers, in an attempt to create a safe environment for their babies. Filmmaker Jacquet capably relays the wonder of this natural ritual, revealing, for instance, that each penguin has a distinct vocal pattern, and when one sings, nearby penguins remain quiet so that each penguin can be heard. A chapter on the making of the film, though too short, nicely illustrates the challenges of following 7,000 penguins across the frozen expanse of Antarctica. Jacquet admits that in such temperatures, "each gesture costs us, and we can appreciate how much the penguins have to endure." 150 photos.(Nov.)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.