New BBC1 documentary follows the birth and rearing of Emperor penguin

Snow Chick, narrated by Kate Winslet, is set to be a festive TV highlight

It shows him being born, his first footsteps and the day he leaves his family

From their cute waddle to their incredible survival skills, penguins have long fascinated us.

Now a BBC1 documentary to be screened at 8.30pm tonight promises to delight us like never before as it traces the story of one tiny Emperor penguin, from its emergence into the cold of Antarctica, through its first freezing steps on the ice until the momentous day it leaves its family at just five months old.

Snow Chick, narrated by Kate Winslet, is set to be one of the highlights of this year's festive TV schedule.

Producer John Downer says: 'For this tiny creature to survive in the most brutal conditions on Earth is a true adventure.'

Here, frame by heart-melting frame, Tanith Carey charts Snow Chick's enchanting story . . .

1. DADDY'S IN CHARGE

There's no such thing as maternity leave and the moment Snow Chick's mum laid her egg, she set off across the ice in search of food — fish and squid — for her baby. Mum's 120-mile round trip means Dad is left to incubate the egg — in his brood pouch, a pocket like an upside down tea cosy