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Richard and Florence Atwater

リチャード ト フローレンス アットウォーター

Richard and Florence Atwater

Profile

Gender
Unknown
Nationality
United States
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
author, teacher, classics professor
Active Years
1920-1979
Affiliations
University of Chicago
Influenced By
Richard E. Byrd (Antarctic expedition documentary inspired the original idea)

Education

University of Chicago
Faculty of Arts (French literature) / Department of French Literature
Degree: AB, MA
Period: 1916-1920
Year of Graduation: 1920
Country: United States
Florence Carroll (later Florence Atwater) earned AB and MA at the University of Chicago and served as co-editor of The Chicago Literary Monthly.
University of Chicago
Department of Classics
Country: United States
Richard Atwater taught Classical Greek at the University of Chicago.

Awards

Newbery Honor
1939
Work: Mr. Popper's Penguins
Organization: American Library Association
Result: 受賞
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
1958
Work: Mr. Popper's Penguins
Organization: Lewis Carroll Shelf Award Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Mr. Popper's Penguins

1938 Children's literature (humor)

Mr. Popper, an ordinary householder in the American Midwest fascinated by polar exploration, unexpectedly becomes caretaker of penguins. The story follows the humorous and heartwarming consequences for his family and town.

familyadventureanimalshumor
Adaptations
  • [film] Mr. Popper's Penguins / Mark Waters (2011)
Translations
  • Mr. Popper's Penguins

Rickety Rhymes of Riq

1925 poetry

A collection of poems by Richard Atwater characterized by whimsical verse.

humorwordplay

Doris and the Trolls

1931 children's literature

A children's story by Richard Atwater.

adventurefantasy

The King's Sneezes, A Children's Operetta

1933 children's operetta

A children's operetta with music by Jessie Thomas and libretto by Richard Atwater.

musicchildren's theatre

The Secret History (translation of Procopius)

1927 historical translation

An English translation of Procopius's Secret History, originally published in a limited edition.

historytranslation

Bibliography

  • Mr. Popper's Penguins (1938)
  • Rickety Rhymes of Riq (1925)
  • Doris and the Trolls (1931)
  • The King's Sneezes, A Children's Operetta (1933)
  • Procopius, The Secret History (translation, 1927)

Adaptations

  • Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011 film)

Translations by Author

  • Translation of Procopius' The Secret History (by Richard Atwater)

Translations of Works

  • Mr. Popper's Penguins (translated into many languages)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lighthearted and humorous narrationaccessible style for children
Recurring Motifs
longing for polar explorationanimals (especially penguins)humor rooted in domestic life

Health

  • stroke
    1934-1948
    A 1934 stroke left Richard unable to speak or write, preventing further independent literary work.

Legacy

Mr. Popper's Penguins became a children's classic, translated into many languages and continuously in print. The collaborative authorship—Florence revising Richard's original manuscript after his stroke—is notable. The story's 2011 film adaptation furthered its presence in popular culture.

Archives

  • Library of Congress (multiple catalog records)

In Popular Culture

  • Brought renewed attention by the 2011 film adaptation
  • Frequently featured in school curricula and reading programs

Trivia

  • Florence Atwater revised her husband Richard's manuscript and completed Mr. Popper's Penguins.
  • Mr. Popper's Penguins received a Newbery Honor in 1939 and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958.
  • The book has been translated into many languages and has long remained continuously in print.
  • A Hollywood film adaptation titled Mr. Popper's Penguins was released in 2011.