Flipper and Finnegan by Sophie Cunningham. Illus. by Anil Tortop
Flipper and Finnegan are are Little Penguins enjoying a glorious life on Phillip Island. They love their special place in the world alongside other wildlife such as seals, bandicoots and Cape Barren Geese. Their days are filled with fish hunting in the clear blue ocean and at night they waddle up the beach to their cosy burrow. When an oil spills covers most of their colony in oil the ranges at the Wildlife Centre know that the penguins are in grave danger. Oily feathers mean the penguins can't keep warm and if they try to preen themselves to remove it the oil will make them sick. Inventive thinking and lots of help from knitters all over the world results in the penguins being put in tiny woollen jumpers until they can be properly cleaned.
There is a small paragraph at the end of the story about the true history behind the tale of Flipper and Finnegan and what we can do to help Little Penguins. There are a few penguin facts scattered within the story and the illustrations and text give a wonderful sense of place (both of Australia and Phillip Island itself). Anil Tortop's illustrations use light to great effect and her animals are cute and cuddly. This is a heartwarming story about what can be achieved when we come together for a cause but is also a reminder of the damage human activity is having on the world around us. While great for younger children this presents the view that after the penguins have been cleaned up they are returned back to a perfect world. This may be a bit simplistic and miss out on teaching points for older children (however it could also be a useful springboard for discussing these issues). A second true story title by this same author and illustrator is titled Tippy and Jellybean: The True Story of a Brave Koala Who Saved her Baby from a Bushfire.
Themes: Kindness, Community, Environmental Issues, Oil Spills, Penguins.
Flipper na Finnegan na Sophie Cunningham. Illus. (Mwanamke mwenye umri wa miaka 18) Anil Tortop na Finnegan ni pengwini wadogo wanaofurahia maisha mazuri kwenye Kisiwa cha Phillip. Wao wanapenda mahali pao pa pekee ulimwenguni pamoja na wanyama wengine wa porini kama vile sili, bandicoots na Cape Barren Geese. Siku zao hujazwa na kuwinda samaki katika bahari ya bluu iliyo wazi na usiku wao hupanda ufuoni hadi kwenye shimo lao lenye kustarehesha. Wakati wa kuvuja kwa mafuta, pengwini hufunika sehemu kubwa ya koloni yao kwa mafuta, na hifadhi za wanyama wa porini hujua kwamba pengwini wako katika hatari kubwa. "Kama pengwini ana manyoya yenye mafuta, hawezi kuhifadhi joto, na kama anajaribu kuondoa mafuta hayo, ataugua.""" Kwa sababu ya ubunifu na msaada wa waandaaji kutoka kote ulimwenguni, pengwini hao wanawekwa ndani ya suti ndogo za suti hadi zitakaposafishwa vizuri. "Hii ni sehemu ya hadithi ya ""Flipper na Finnegan"" na ""Tunawezaje kuwasaidia Penguins wadogo?""" Kuna ukweli wa penguin katika hadithi na picha na maandishi kutoa hisia ya ajabu ya mahali (wote Australia na Phillip Island yenyewe). Picha za Anil Tortop hutumia mwanga kwa athari kubwa na wanyama wake ni wazuri na wenye kupendeza. Hii ni hadithi yenye kufurahisha juu ya kile kinachoweza kupatikana wakati tunapokusanyika pamoja kwa sababu, lakini pia ni ukumbusho wa uharibifu ambao shughuli za binadamu zinafanya kwa ulimwengu unaotuzunguka. Ingawa ni nzuri kwa watoto wadogo, hii inatoa mtazamo kwamba baada ya pengwini kuwa kusafishwa wanarudishwa tena katika ulimwengu kamilifu. Hii inaweza kuwa kidogo simplistic na kukosa juu ya mafundisho pointi kwa ajili ya watoto wakubwa (lakini inaweza pia kuwa muhimu springboard kwa ajili ya kujadili masuala haya). "Mwanamke huyo pia ni mwandishi wa vitabu vya hadithi, na mwandishi wa vitabu vya hadithi ya kweli, ""Tippy na Jellybean: Hadithi ya kweli ya Koala mwenye ujasiri ambaye aliokoa mtoto wake kutoka kwa moto wa Bush.""" Mandhari: Fadhili, Jumuiya, Masuala ya Mazingira, Mvua ya Mafuta, Penguin.