Mr. Popper, a housepainter, is a kindhearted yet dreamy and absentminded housepainter. He resides with his wife and children, Janie and Bill, in the small town of Stillwater. When working, he is frequently distracted by thoughts of faraway places. Despite the fact that he has never left his hometown, he has always dreamed of visiting distant, exotic lands, and he is particularly interested in the Arctic and Antarctic. Mr. Popper is unemployed during the winter months but is happy to have time at home when he can study his many books and atlases about the Poles; he locates various regions of interest on a small globe purchased for him by his children. As a result, Mr. Popper is very knowledgeable about the Poles and the native wildlife.

This character is a model of patience, kindness and altruism. Despite his modest living circumstances, he is not at all money motivated. He always makes decisions that will ensure the well-being of the penguins, and he is willing to sacrifice money in order to do so. Mr. Popper experiences conflict when he gives his last five dollar bill to a refrigerator serviceman in order to re-purpose the family’s icebox to house Captain Cook, as he realizes that this money might have bought more food for his wife and children.