Tom Michell

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The Penguin Lessons

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When schoolteacher Tom Michell pulls a penguin from an oil slick off the coast of Uruguay he has no idea what to do. 
 
Back at his apartment, Tom cleans him, but upon returning to the beach the penguin refuses to return to the ocean. Tom has one option: to smuggle the penguin over the Argentinian border to the prestigious boarding school Tom calls home. 
 
There follows a heart-warming story of one remarkable penguin, who adapts to boarding school life. Whether it's as team mascot or swimming coach extraordinaire - Juan Salvador the penguin transforms the lives of all he meets.

NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING STEVE COOGAN AND JONATHAN PRYCE 
 
THIS IS THE TRUE STORY OF THE UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN A FLIGHTLESS BIRD AND A TEACHER OUT OF HIS DEPTH . . . 
 
'I can't remember the last time I read a book that made me smile so continuously' 5***** Reader Review 
 
'How could a penguin transform so many lives? Read it and see. You'll not regret it' 5***** Reader Review 
 
'Delightful, uplifting, enjoyable, fun and beautifully written' 5***** Reader Review 
 
_______ 
 
Tom Michell is in his roaring twenties: single, free-spirited and seeking adventure. He has a plane ticket to South America, a teaching position in a prestigious Argentine boarding school, and endless summer holidays. 
 
What he doesn't need is a pet. What he really doesn't need is a pet penguin. 
 
But while on holiday in Uruguay he spots a penguin struggling in an oil slick and knows he has to help. And then the penguin refuses to leave his side . . . 
 
Clearly Tom has no choice but to smuggle it across the border, through customs, and back to school. He names him Juan Salvador. 
 
Whether it's as the rugby team's mascot, the housekeeper's confidant, the host at Tom's parties or the most flamboyant swimming coach in world history, Juan Salvador transforms the lives of all he meets - including Tom, who discovers a compadre like no other . . . 
_______ 
 
AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 2 
 
'A much-beloved tale about a much-beloved bird . . . Heart-warmingly eccentric' Guardian 
 
'So touching that I didn't want it to end. I really loved this book' Michael Bond, creator of Paddington 
 
'Charming' Daily Mail 
 
'One of the most touching tales we've read all year' Heat

Tom Michell was born and grew up on the rural downs of southern England, where he grew to love animals, birds and plants. After living in Argentina he returned home and settled in Cornwall where he helps with the family business, tends a small plot of what he calls 'good Cornish soil' and sings with a local choir. 
He is an amateur artist and in his spare time he draws and paints subjects from the wildlife around his home, specializing in birds of prey. 
Tom is an enthusiastic proponent of understanding how humans can live in genuinely sustainable ways. He is married with four grown-up children and three grandchildren.

The Penguin Lessons

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