Think of the last time you were in the snow. This is the story of Haole, a bird that can't fly but surfs fifty foot waves in Antarctica and is about to make the most important discovery of his life - The inner game of surfing -The magic that makes life a game. "The Adventures of Haole the Penguin" begin on a floating slab of ice connected to the Antarctic mainland and pummeled by massive storm waves all winter. It's a hell of a place to live, but the penguins call it home. They spend their time divided between fishing, staying warm, and gossiping about one another.This was the penguin's entire universe. No penguin ever ventured outside of this landscape and the few miles of ocean that surround it. On several occasions Haole had asked his mother about this very thing. One time it was while they stood together, watching a storm approach over the cliffs to the west. "What's past those cliffs?" Haole asked innocently. "Just more ice," his mother had responded automatically. She used to seem so big to Haole, towering above him, but since he had his growth spurt she didn't seem so huge. She was just a little taller than him now. The answer didn't satisfy him. "Well, what's beyond that?" he persisted innocently. "Even more ice," she said firmly, then added "and more cliffs." There was a long pause as Haole doubted for a second that his mom knew everything. "Mom?" "What is it, Haole?" She looked at him sweetly. "Well, what's beyond that?" He was going to repeat the question until he got an answer other than 'ice.' His mother's feathers ruffled. "Why don't you spend your time thinking about more important things?" she gently scolded him. "Like what?" he asked, although he already knew the answer. "Like fishing," she said predictably. "Haole, one of these days very soon you are going to have to stop all of your dreaming and start keeping your mind on practical matters. You are growing up." See what I mean, Dear reader? Haole does not fit in. He is convinced there must be more to life than fish and gossip and aches to discover the worlds' mysteries. Synchronicity steps in as he stumbles upon something else, something magical that he likes to do in his free time. The other penguins think this is absurd. What else is there except fish, fishing, and staying warm... except staying away from the killer whales and leopard seals? Well, Haole happens on this other thing quite by accident as he is coming back to the ice sheet from fishing one day. While swimming out by the reef during a storm he has his first glimpse of this magic when he learns to surf in a freak encounter with a hungry killer whale and a huge rogue-wave! This begins a trail of discovery for Haole that leads him to run away from home, traveling the South Pacific riding perfect waves. He and his friend Donna travel all the way to Tahiti where they meet and take their place in an ocean-wide community of sea creatures. This is where he will face his biggest challenge and learn life's biggest lesson. Haole's story touches readers hearts because along with a compelling plot about coming of age, it genuinely conveys a love for the environment and the importance of taking personal responsibility not just for the oceans, but for one's own dreams. To put it simply it'sa gripping tale of a bird finding the inner magic of life and then bringing it home with him. This book takes you surfing.