★ 03/07/2016
When gray storm clouds and a “very bad mood” descend on Penguin, he tackles the situation head-on in this polished study in self-soothing. Arriving home, Penguin takes off his “grumpy coat” and “grumpy boots,” and he doesn’t stop there: “grumpy overalls” and “grumpy underpants” soon follow, and Penguin proceeds to take a bath, put on his favorite pajamas, and read a book, all of which go a long way to improving his state of mind. Set against crisp white backgrounds, British author-illustrator Messer’s handsome hand-printed illustrations are cheeky while still respecting Penguin’s emotions (his angry poses and frowny eyebrows speak volumes about his mood). Penguin’s ability to bring himself to a more content and optimistic place without any outside or parental help offers concrete, empowering ideas for readers who might be wearing their own grumpy outfits. Ages 4–8. (May)
STARRED REVIEW! "Messer has arrived at a fine combination here: few words and images, but not too few, and well-chosen to pave the way out of the grumps. The artwork possesses substance and delicacy. Really well turned, with balance, momentum, and all the right notes."—Kirkus Reviews starred review
STARRED REVIEW! "This charming account of handling emotions is a great addition to other children's books about grumpy behavior."—School Library Journal starred review
STARRED REVIEW! "Penguin's ability to bring himself to a more content and optimistic place without any outside or parental help offers concrete, empowering ideas for readers who might be wearing their own grumpy outfits."—Publishers Weekly starred review
"Little ones will likely giggle over the subtly bashful, disrobing penguin and sympathize with his cloudy mood, and the gentle lesson—grouchiness is fleeting—is a comforting one, for both kids and parents."—Booklist
"Messer's debut is both a useful lesson in beating a cantankerous mood and an elegant example of traditional printmaking, made appealingly up-to-date against stretches of white."—New York Times Book Review
"Spare linoleum-print illustrations with lots of white space keep viewers' eyes trained on our protagonist as he humorously grumps and stomps (we're laughing at him, not with him) and then visibly chills out (his eyebrows give us all we need to gauge his moods)."—Horn Book
★ 03/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—Penguin is in a snit of unspecified origins. Readers follow him as he tries to shed his ill humor along with his clothing. Then he counts to three and dives into his tub. With a nice, cold bath; his favorite pajamas; and his treasured book and teddy, Penguin redirects his attention to the little things that make him feel better. The illustrations are done in linoleum prints, pressed with muted hues of blues, with generous occasions of color to create a simple and effective narrative. Penguin's emotions are expressed through subtle facial expressions and gestures, creating a relatable experience. "As Penguin fell asleep, he knew that tomorrow would be a good day because all the grumpiness has been washed away." The text is large and spare for comfortable beginning readers. VERDICT This charming account of handling emotions is a great addition to other children's books about grumpy behavior.—Briana Moore, School Library Journal
★ 2016-02-17
The grumps are particularly vexing when you are a little penguin and you don't even know where they came from. In this accomplished debut picture book, Messer introduces readers to Penguin, who is standing in the rain in his sou'wester. But the rain is not the cause of his "very bad mood." The problem? "He didn't know why and he didn't care. He stomped his feet all the way home." He removes grumpy boots and coat. Still grumpy. He removes grumpy socks and overalls. "Nope. Still grumpy." Off come the grumpy underpants. "I'm still grumpy, you know." So he takes a deep breath and plunges into the tub. He plays with his duck and makes a bubble beard. He slips into his favorite PJs, downs a cup of hot chocolate, grabs a favorite book and a favorite teddy, and climbs into bed. Messer has arrived at a fine combination here: few words and images, but not too few, and well-chosen to pave the way out of the grumps. The artwork possesses substance and delicacy, using linoleum prints in a simple red, yellow, and blue palette displayed for maximum contrast against spacious white backgrounds. Unexpectedly—for kids that is—sleep looks good, and there is that comforting, invisible presence off the page, drawing the bath, making the hot chocolate, and washing the grumps out of those clothes. Really well turned, with balance, momentum, and all the right notes. (Picture book. 3-6)
