Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cold, cranky penguin looks on the dark side in funny book.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In PENGUIN PROBLEMS, when Penguin wakes up on a mound of snow, it's way too early and his beak is cold. The small complaints mount from there. He's bothered by the other penguins squawking, doesn't like the snow, and is hungry for fish, but the ocean's too cold and full of scary predators. Self-doubt sets in: He looks silly when he waddles and wants to fly but can't. And since all the other penguins look the same, he can't tell them apart! Suddenly Walrus arrives and gives a long speech about the beauty around them -- the mountains, the ocean, the blue of the winter sky -- and Penguin starts to notice those things, too. "Maybe things will work out after all!" But as large flakes of snow fall down, he reports that his beak is cold and it's dark way too early.
Is It Any Good?
Cranky kids and the irritable grown-ups who live with them might recognize themselves in this wryly funny story about a penguin who looks on the dark side even when it's blindingly bright out. Sure, Penguin's problems are "Penguin Problems," but humans can relate to a cold, cruel world that stirs up fears and insecurities. Sometimes it's hard to look beyond your own beak to the larger picture, and this book does propose a broader horizon, but it's no rosy cure-all. Walrus' full-page inspirational speech seems heavy because it contrasts so starkly with the spare, funny complaints on other pages. And, as with a well-meaning New Year's resolution, Penguin can't keep up his cheeriness for long.
Befitting a book about penguins, Lane Smith's art is heavy on black and white, so the pages have a bold, graphic feel, with other soft colors to brighten the landscapes. The penguin's eyes are expressive, revealing his fears and doubts. This knowing, witty look at penguin (and human) nature, is best for kids with an offbeat sense of humor.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the complaints penguin has in Penguin Problems. What are the challenges of being a penguin? Do you have complaints about your daily life like Penguin does? What are they?
Do you ever try to look on the bright side, as Walrus advises Penguin to do? Does it ever help you feel better?
If all penguins look alike, how do you think real penguins in the wild recognize one another and tell one another apart?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Lane Smith
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals ( Ocean Creatures , Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Random House Children's Books
- Publication date : September 27, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 7
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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