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About Penguin Problems
Product description ★ An Amazon Best Children's Book of the Year selection ★ "Well-paced, bursting with humor, and charmingly misanthropic."-- Kirkus Reviews starred review A penguin levels with human readers about what penguin life is really like--and it isn't all fun and games. A hilarious first collaboration from Jory John (All my friends are dead. and Quit Calling Me a Monster!) and Lane Smith (The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales). Have you ever considered running away to Antarctica? Of course you have! Because it's a land free of worries and responsibilities! All of your problems will surely be blown away by the icy winds of that lawless paradise! . . . Won't they? Think again, my friend. This penguin has come to tell you that his life down there is no more a picnic than yours is here. For starters, it is FREEZING. Also, penguins have a ton of natural predators. Plus, can you imagine trying to find your mom in a big ol' crowd of identical penguins? No, thank you. Yes, it seems there is no escaping the drudgery of your daily grind, whatever it might be. Or perhaps we've just learned that grumps are everywhere. . . . Jory John and Lane Smith let us decide. This book is sure to tickle kids' funny bones and will elicit appreciative sighs from the adults reading it aloud. From School Library Journal PreS-Gr 2—It's not easy being a penguin. As a world-weary avian narrator points out, there's plenty that can (and does) go wrong: "My beak is cold." "It snowed some more last night, and I don't even like the snow." "The ocean smells too salty today." An even chillier fishing expedition does not improve his demeanor: "Oh, great. An orca. Oh, great. A leopard seal. Oh, great. A shark. What is it with this place?" Smith's sponge-textured illustrations expand upon the text's downbeat doldrums with visual humor and delightfully deadpan facial expressions. Still hungry, the penguin pulls out of the water just before being gulped down by the bigger seal (which is about to be consumed by the even larger shark, about to be swallowed by the huge orca). His melancholy monologue continues until a stately walrus catches his attention and delivers a wise (and lengthy and slightly bombastic) oration about appreciating the good things in life. Grudgingly, Penguin embraces a new perspective. He sits on a pristine peak, gazes at gracefully falling flurries, and muses, "Maybe things will work out, after all"—or not (the page turn reveals that the gentle snowflakes have turned into a full-fledged storm and Penguin has resumed his grousing). This sublime pairing of author and artist results in a rib-tickling exploration of what it means to look at the unsunny side. VERDICT Share this book with Claire Messer's Grumpy Pants for a storytime starring persnickety penguins.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal Review ★ An Amazon Best Children's Book of the Year ★ Amazon Editor's Pick: Best Books of the Month ★ National Indie Bestseller ★ Junior Library Guild Selection ★ IndieNext top selection ★ Barnes & Noble National Storytime selection ★ Target Bestseller ★ Scholastic Teachers selection ★ A Powell's Pick of the Season ★ An Irish Times Best Children's Book of the Year ★ A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year "Funny and acerbic. Evocative illustrations." -- The New York Times "Hilarious and filled with super-stylish illustrations, it's sure to tickle your funny bone." -- Little London Magazine "If you want hilarity no matter how many times you read a book, Penguin Problems written by Jory John with illustrations by Lane Smith is a marvelous selection. This first collaboration by John and Smith is a triumph. There is not a missed beat in this cadence of comedy." -- Margie Myers-Culver, Librarian's Quest"Misanthropic penguins make for comedy gold." -- School Library Journal "A triumphant first for this picture book pairing, we truly hope there'll be plans for more from this dynamic duo. John's intrinsic humor, coupled with Smith's matchless illustrations is destined to be a resounding success and a story that will resonate with both children and adults, perhaps for many different reasons." -- Picture Books Blogger "The voice here is downright hysterical. Penguin Problems is one of my top-shelf picture books in recent memory. " -- Danielle Davis, This Picture Book Life "This penguin is ... basically Larry David in Antarctica! Who wouldn't love that?" -- The New York Post "This book is hilarious." -- The Clarion-Ledger "Stunningly beautiful." -- Read Brightly "The perfect mix of humor and aesthetics." -- Books of Wonder "This is such a hilarious book that all kids of any age can relate to. I especially like the zen perspective conveyed in the end to the young penguin by a wise walrus. There should be a special children's book award for humor, and if there was one, this book would cinch it." -- Pragmatic Mom (blog) "Hilarious." -- The London Evening Standard "Charming and hilarious." -- Powell's "Picture book masterpiece." -- Nerdy Book Club About the Author JORY JOHN is the author of the picture books I Will Chomp You! , Quit Calling Me a Monster! , and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor Book Goodnight Already! . He is the co-author of the New York Times bestselling novel, The Terrible Two , and the national bestseller All my friends are dead , among many other books. For six years, Jory taught writing at 826 Valencia, a nonprofit writing and educational center in San Francisco. LANE SMITH has written and illustrated a number of novels and picture books for children, including two Caldecott Honor titles. He was a 2014 recipient of a Society of Illustrators Lifetime Achievement Award and was named an Honor Artist by the Eric Carle Museum. He lives with his wife, book designer Molly Leach, in rural Connecticut.
