The book details the history of the penguins and is written as a critique of human nature, and is also a robust satire on France's political history, including the Dreyfus affair.
Morals, customs and laws are satirised within the context of the fictional land of Penguinia, where the animals were baptised erroneously by the myopic Abbot Mael. The book is ultimately concerned with the perfectibility of mankind.
Penguin Island is also an island off the coast of Perth Western Australia.External link