Cuddly Dudley

This week I read the book Cuddly Dudley, which I first read back in first grade, I think. It all started with my first grade teacher, Mrs. Preameux. She loved penguins and they were incorporated into every assignment and project we had that year. I guess it is safe to say that is when I started to go through my I love penguins phase. I read lots of penguins books, one of them was Mr. Popper's Penguins, and of course there was Cuddly Dudley. This book stood out to me I think because it is so funny. It is basicaly about a goofy penguin who just seems so cuddly that everyone who comes in contact with him wants to hug and "cuddle" with him. He tries to leave home and be by himself but ends up getting into trouble and realizes that home is the place where he wants to be. There is just no one quite like Cuddly Dudley. After reading this book I went through a phase where all I wanted was a penguin. I had lots of penguin stuffed animals, but never a real penguin. It never occured to me that a penguin couldn't simply survive at my house like my dog or cats could. I just assumed taking care of a penguin was like taking care of a traditional household pet. Well, once I realized that I was never going to get a penguin my fascination with them kind of diminished and I moved on to another pet- a parrot. But that is another story for another time...