An Old Man and His Penguin picture book re-released

By John Freeman on April 22, 2025 • ( 1 )

The success of the film, My Penguin Friend, last year, has had an unexpected benefit for author Alayne Kay Christian and illustrator Milanka Reardon: the re-release of their award-winning picture book, An Old Man and His Penguin, first published in 2016.

A paperback edition of the book, Winner of the Story Monsters Approved Award for Nonfiction, is already available from publisher She Went Thataway Press, with a hardback release due on 1st May.

Like the film, Alayne’s picture book is based on the magical true story that touched hearts across the globe in 2011, when we discovered the story of a penguin that visited a Brazilian fisherman for eight consecutive years before, it’s optimistically assumed, discovering his own penguin mate rather than a human companion, and starting a family in its native Argentina.

Reorganisation at Alayne’s publisher meant her picture books had gone out of print, but the box office success of My Penguin Friend, now available on various streaming services, has seen the book get re-released.

Described by Kirkus Reviews as “A moving, affectionate, and joyful tale, all the more so for being true”, An Old Man and His Penguin isavailable now from all good bookshops.

Alayne Kay Christian is an award-winning children’s book author and the creator and teacher of a picture book writing course Art of Arc. She is the former acquisitions editor and art director for Blue Whale Press. In addition, she shares her knowledge with writers through free and affordable webinars at Writing for Children Webinars. She has been a picture book and chapter book critique professional since 2014, and she worked as a 12 X 12 critique ninja for three years.

Her published works include the Sienna, the Cowgirl Fairy chapter book series with Trying To Make It Rain and Cowboy Trouble, and picture books Butterfly Kisses For Grandma and Grandpa, An Old Man and His Penguin, and more. Born in the Rockies, raised in Chicago, and now a true-blue Texan, Alayne’s writing and book designs share her creative spirit and the kinship to nature and humanity that reside within her heart.

Milanka Reardon is a children’s book illustrator and author. When she emigrated to the United States from the former Republic of Yugoslavia at the age of 6, no one in her school spoke her language, so her teachers sketched images of English words for her. Instead of copying the words, Milanka took it upon herself to add to their drawings, creating her first stories with images. Later, she attended the Rhode Island School of Design, earning certificates in children’s book illustration and natural science illustration.

She is a recipient of the R. Michelson Galleries Emerging Artist Award. She lives in Massachusetts by a lake, where she loves to sketch all kinds of wildlife.

An Old Man and His Penguin

João loves Dindim like a son. Dindim loves João as if he were another penguin.

On an island off the coast of Brazil, a black blob bobs on the beach. The tarry figure shimmers and squirms in flowing sea foam.

João squints and moves closer.

Slippery. Heavy. Soaked with oil. The penguin squiggles and wiggles. It cannot stand.

João cradles the dying penguin in his arms and calls him Dindim.

So starts the poignant portrayal of an unlikely father-son relationship between an old man and his penguin.

Based on the magical true story that touched hearts across the globe in 2011 and became a movie in 2024, Alayne Kay Christian and Milanka Reardon bring this captivating story to life for young children everywhere. João and Dindim swim together, fish together, and stroll the beach together. But there are real penguins somewhere across the sea. Dindim dives deep and disappears, leaving João sad and lonely. Miraculously, Dindim returns. And the cycle repeats year after year. Still, each year, João sits on the shore wondering, waiting, and watching for his friend’s return. One day, as João loses hope, villagers tell him that the penguin will never come back. João cannot say if he will or will not. Are the villagers right? Will Dindim ever patter into his old friend’s loving arms again?

An Old Man and His Penguin is available now from all good bookshops

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.