Penguin Problems

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The penguin is dissatisfied with the snow, the ocean, the fish, and the fact that he sinks “like a dumb rock.” Jory John’s dry humor and Lane Smith’s beautifully textured illustrations come together perfectly in this tale of a charmingly surly sourpuss who discovers how to appreciate what he has. Recommended By Gigi L., Powells.com

Have you ever thought: I have so many problems and nobody even cares? Well, penguins have problems too! Discover them in this hilarious 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).

This penguin has come to tell you that life in Antarctica is no paradise. 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.

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. . . .

This book is sure to tickle kids’ funny bones and will elicit appreciative sighs from the adults reading it aloud.

“Well-paced, bursting with humor, and charmingly misanthropic.” Kirkus (starred review)

“The temperature may be below freezing, but the snark level is cranked up high in this collaboration between funnymen John and Smith.” Horn Book (starred review)

Jory John is the author of the picture books Penguin Problems, I Will Chomp You!, Quit Calling Me a Monster!, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Honor Book Goodnight Already! He is the coauthor of the New York Times bestselling novel, The Terrible Two, and the national bestseller All My Friends Are Dead, among many other books. He is a former writing instructor at 826 Valencia, a nonprofit writing and educational center in San Francisco. Jory now lives in Oregon.