On Sunday, Dec. 19, a visitor from the south––not the South Pole but Santa Monica––strutted his stuff up and down Swarthmore Ave., bringing much mirth and merriment to Pacific Palisades' farmers' market: Norky, the fine, feathered star of Steve Allgeier's 2007 children's book, Christmas with Norky: The Adventure Begins.

Norky was in town to spread the word that Santa Monica resident Allgeier's debut children's book was available at Village Books.

In Christmas, Santa Claus appoints Norky to be in charge of his Naughty/Nice list. Norky just doesn't go out before Christmas to accomplish this, he checks on kids all year around. If a child has a problem, Norky distributes a Fix-It Card. Once the problems are systematically fixed and approved by Mom and Dad, it turns a Good Deeds Card, upon which Norky flies it up to the North Pole. Yes, flies! You see, while the cap-wearing Norky is ostensibly a penguin, he's actually of mixed heritage.

"He's part penguin, part eagle so he can fly," said Norky's creator, Santa Monica-based writer Allgeier. "His father's an eagle, his mother's a penguin."

Allgeier coined a word for his bird: he's a "PenEagle."

"He's the official mail bird of the North Pole," he said. "Norky holds the special key of the Northern Lights that releases the dreams in all of us and [makes them] a reality."

On a visit to Pacific Palisades' farmers' market last Sunday, the PenEagle let out his tradmark ecstatic cry––"Woo-hooo!"––and wiggled his tail feather. Mind you, it was raining cats and dogs (and perhaps even CatDogs…).

"I created [the cry] as a form of excitement and joy that is birdlike," said the writer of Norky, which is illustrated by French-Canadian illustrator Beatrice Favereau.

As an ambassador of diversity and tolerance, Norky (either inhabited by Allgeier or a friend) has been invited as a special guest at various fundraisers such as Make A Wish Foundation, the Autism Walk, Donald Trump Celebrity Golf, Kimmel's Feast of San Gennaro Festival, Abilities Expo and Special Olympics. The partial penguin has also appeared at McKinley Elementary, Kenter Canyon Elementary, and Will Rogers Elementary, where he participated in literacy programs.  

The majority of the author's family still lives in his native Louisville, KY. Allgeier credits his father and late mother for instilling the values that have ultimately been passed on to his hybrid bird creation: "My parents were the best, most loving parents you could ever have."

So just where did Allgeier get that Norky name anyway?

"My father's name is Norbert and he's from Kentucky, so Norky," the PenEagle's creator said. "My dad still calls me up and says, 'How's Norky doing?'"

The likely response? "Woo-hoooo!"