Told in rhyming verse, this is the true story of an oil-soaked penguin, the man who rescues him and an unlikely friendship.

João hears “a sorry screech” as he walks along the shore near his home. It's from a penguin, whose feathers are soaked in oil. Too tired to swim, too weak to stand, he's barely moving on the sand. João must save this little guy. Without his help, he'll surely die. João takes the penguin home. He cleans him, feeds him and nurses him slowly back to health --- and the pair develop a special bond. When the penguin is fully recovered, João knows it's time to return him to the wild where he belongs. But the penguin has other ideas ...

Told in rhyming verse, this is the true story of João Pereira de Souza of Brazil, who cared for a Magellanic penguin that had been caught in an oil spill.