Breakdown of the Kanji

You saw these breakdowns two weeks ago, but I’ve provided them again to refresh your memory:

ペンギンと背比べ！南極に生息する4種類のペンギンの脇に立ち、あなたの身長と比較してみて下さい。
Pengin to seikurabe! Nankyoku ni seisoku suru 4 shurui no pengin
no waki ni tachi, anata no shinchō to hikaku shite mite kudasai.
Stand beside the four Antarctic penguin species and see how tall they are compared to you!

背比べ (seikurabe: comparing heights)
     back, height + to compare
南極 (nankyoku: South Pole)     south + pole
生息 (seisoku: inhabiting; living)     life + to live

Although 息 usually means “breath,” this use of it means “to live.”

種類 (shurui: kind, type)     kind + kind
脇 (waki: side)
立 (ta(tsu): to stand)
身長 (shinchō: height)     body + length

Height is the length of one’s body!

比較 (hikaku: comparison)     to compare + to compare
下 (kuda(sai): please do for me)

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