Penguin, Cardbox (Taschen cardboxes)
What"s more charming than a penguin? A bunch of penguins! Brilliant nature photographer Frans Lanting enters the deep south world of the flightless Antarctic birds to reveal their daily lives, their triumphs and tragedies, and above all, that adorable way they waddle in their little tuxedoes. In his introduction, Lanting writes: I wanted to create an impression of who these penguins are and what they go through. I hope my work will be seen as an homage to the individual within them all. Set against the starkly beautiful Antarctic rocks and ice, Lanting"s subjects are brilliantly defined, as sure of their purpose in life as they are of krill in the water. Whether going to sea to hunt, or raising their heartbreakingly cute chicks in crowded rookeries, these penguins are sleek, elegant, and funny. Lanting"s photos reveal their lives in sparkling, intimate detail. --Therese Littleton