Penguin Problems

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

Poor Penguin! His beak is cold. He doesn't like snow. He's not buoyant enough. He feels silly when he waddles and he has to deal with all the squawking! Can Walrus convince him to view life differently and appreciate all that he has? Local author Jory John and award-winning illustrator Lane Smith team up in this very charming and hilarious picture book for both grown-ups and kids to enjoy! Recommended By Kim T., Powells.com

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.

"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)

"Well-paced, bursting with humor, and charmingly misanthropic." Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)

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. He is also the editor of Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids’ Letters to President Obama. For six years, Jory taught writing at 826 Valencia, a nonprofit writing and educational center in San Francisco.

Lane Smith is a four-time recipient of the New York Times Best Illustrated Book award and a two-time Caldecott Honor recipient. In 2012 the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art named him a Carle Artist for "lifelong innovation in the field of children’s picture books," and in 2014 he was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Society of Illustrators. He is the illustrator of many books, including The Stinky Cheese Man, and the author/illustrator of It’s a Book, Grandpa Green, and John, Paul, George & Ben, among others. He is married to book designer Molly Leach.