12-year-old Anne can't believe her eyes when her uncle Cornelius, a marine biologist at a polar station in Antarctica, shows up at her parents' house in Cologne one day with a live penguin in his luggage. Cornelius asks her to look after the little guy temporarily. Excited, Anne names her new friend Amundsen and empties the refrigerator. Where else would a penguin sleep in summer temperatures? However, the joy over the exotic visitor is soon dampened. Three sinister figures, led by the mean Kullmann, are apparently after the penguin.