Published: 27th September 2016
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Pages: 32
Format: Hardcover Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars
What?!
Oh, you’re going to read this book? Somehow I seriously doubt that. I bet you won’t even finish reading this flap.
Don’t worry about it. Why would you want to learn about some penguin’s problems when you have plenty of problems of your own? Just look around. The world’s a mess!
Besides, you probably don’t even like penguins. Heck, I barely like penguins and I am a penguin.
Seriously, I’ll understand if you put the book back on the shelf. Go ahead. It’s for the best.
I’m sure you’d just get a bunch of paper cuts, anyway. And you’d probably bend the pages. And you’d get your little fingerprints everywhere.
When was the last time you washed those grubby hands of yours? No offense.
Sigh.
Listen: I’m going back to bed. Read, don’t read. Buy, don’t buy. Whatever.
Just try not to wake me up.
I’m a light sleeper.
And I have a lot on my mind.
The first cute thing about this book is the front cover. The second cute thing is the little blurb on the inside of the cover. I was in love with this book before I’d even gotten to the title page to find out what it was even called. The book is in fact called Penguin Problems and it is fantastic! I fell deeper in love with Smith’s beautiful little illustrations, they are simple and yet convey so much at the same time. I felt the hardships of this little penguin and I loved him for that.
The little penguin complains about the cold, about how his beak is cold and it gets dark. He has problems like orca and leopard seals and he doesn’t know who his mum and dad are. I adored this little penguin who complained so much. It is a funny book that make me laugh multiple times. The words are simple but they tell a story and the illustrations make the experience even more fulfilling,
The illustrations are a combination of single images and large full page ones. Smith balances these out wonderfully to match the needs of the story. The single image of a penguin lying on his back on a small mound of snow is the perfect representation for the start of the book.
Another thing I loved about this book is that it doesn’t go where you expect it to. I wasn’t expecting to read about a penguin who hated the cold, and as I read on there were more surprises and by the end even when you think you know where it’s going, you don’t. I loved that in this picture book that has so few words and so few pages that this great little journey could be gone on so successfully and with such wonderful humour and cuteness.
You can purchase Penguin Problems via the following
Amazon | Amazon Aust | Wordery
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