Nephew receives a box in the mail from his uncle. When the boy opens the box he is surprised there is a penguin inside.
My father who was born in 1930 tells me this is one of the first books he ever read which leads me to believe the book was published in the 1930s. My father doesn’t remember much else but he always laughs when he describes the boy opening the box and finding the penguin. I would love to be able to find this book for him to read again.
Just to eliminate the obvious suggestion, have you looked at Mr Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater? It was originally written in 1938. It’s not an uncle and a boy, but it’s the right time frame.
Not quite an exact match, but any chance you’re thinking of ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins’ by Richard and Florence Atwater (1938)? Instead of an uncle sending a penguin to his nephew, it’s an explorer sending a penguin to a house painter who had previously sent him fan mail – but Mr. Popper (the painter) does have a wife and two children and when they open the box and discover a penguin they are definitely surprised!
Thank you both so much for your responses! I will definitely be looking into Mr. Popper’s Penguins’ by Richard and Florence Atwater (1938). I will let you know.
If it’s a chapter book, it’s more likely Mr. Popper’s Penguins. But if it’s a picture book, try “365 Penguins” by Jen Luc Fromental. The uncle who works in Antarctica sends a penguin a day for a year. The family is stumped trying to house and feed them. Lots of interesting math problems and funny situations. I teach first grade and my students really enjoy this book. It makes them giggle uncontrollably.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081094460X/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=081094460X&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2