About the Book
Written by Margaret George and Lydia Margaret Adcock
Penelope Platypus has moved away from Australia with her family to a place where no one ever heard of a platypus and everyone thinks she is weird. Despite her parents trying to assure her that her traits—a beaver-like tail, a duck-like bill, and an otter-shaped body—are unique and special, she does not want to be unique; she wants to be like the other animals at school. After being taunted by a trio of mean piglets who laugh at her bill, her tail, and her fur, she decides to run away and see if she can be accepted as an honorary duck, an honorary beaver, or an honorary otter in one of their tribes. But she doesn’t fit in there, either. Finally, a wise otter convinces her of what her family couldn’t—that being herself, the best platypus she can be, will make her at home anywhere. Joyfully, she returns home to her worried parents, celebrating her special traits.
About Lydia
Lydia Margaret Adcock, Margaret George’s granddaughter, was a fifth-grader in Washington, D.C., when she conceived the idea for Penelope Platypus, wrote the story, and did the illustrations. She loves animals and was especially fascinated by the platypus. She has five pet tortoises.