Description
Product Description
Penguins aren't the only animals with problems. . . . A second hilarious collaboration from picture-book superstars Lane Smith and Jory John!
Can you guess what's making this giraffe self-conscious? Could it be . . . HIS ENORMOUS NECK?? Yes, it's exactly that--how on earth did you figure it out?
Edward the giraffe can't understand why his neck is as long and bendy and, well, ridiculous as it is. No other animal has a neck this absurd. He's tried disguising it, dressing it up, strategically hiding it behind bushes--honestly, anything you can think of, he's tried. Just when Edward has exhausted his neck-hiding options and is about to throw in the towel, a turtle swoops in (well, ambles in, very slowly) and helps him understand that his neck has a purpose, and looks excellent in a bow tie.
From School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-In a follow-up to Penguin Problems, John and Smith team up again and bring their zany brand of comedy. Edward the giraffe has a problem with his neck-it's just too necky. Who wants such a long neck? "Everybody stares at it. This guy. That guy. Him. Her. Them. Whatever that is. Her again." Edward envies his fellow African animals, who generally respond unfavorably. When Edward admires the zebra's classic stripes, the zebra snaps, "Quit staring at me," but it takes a self-effacing turtle named Cyrus to convince him that his neck is just perfect. A foldout page reveals Edward using his neck for its intended purpose. In a beautiful introduction to the uniqueness of a giraffe's spots, Smith has created large, block-printed spots in natural colors to adorn the end pages. The textured print continues throughout, visible in the hides of animals, the bark of trees, and the textured ground of the African plain. Of course, there is the theme of self-acceptance and a bit of sublime silliness as well, especially in Edwards's fruitless attempts at camouflage and in the expressively simple eyes of Cyrus the turtle. VERDICT This book will appeal to older preschoolers as well as elementary school kids, and would lend itself perfectly to dramatic interpretation or an art lesson in sponge or block printing.-Lisa Taylor, Florida State College, Jacksonvilleα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
★ National Indie Bestseller★ A Publisher's Weekly Most Anticipated Children's Book of 2018 selection★ An Amazon Most Anticipated Children's Book of Fall 2018
★ A Junior Library Guild Selection
★ An IndieNext List top selection★ A Booklist Reader Best New Book
"Side-splittingly funny, totally original and one to return to time after time."--Picture Books Blogger "Sure to garner laughs."--Publisher's Weekly, STARRED Review
"That [his neck] is just right for a giraffe is a notion that Edward, not to mention young readers with self-consciousness issues of their own, will have no trouble swallowing."--Booklist, STARRED Review
"In a follow-up to Penguin Problems, John and Smith team up again and bring their zany brand of comedy. Of course, there is [also] the theme of self-acceptance and a bit of sublime silliness as well, especially in Edwards's fruitless attempts at camouflage and in the expressively simple eyes of Cyrus the turtle."--School Library Journal, STARRED review
"Another hilarious story of personal insecurities from Jory John. Definitely a laugh-out-loud read with a nice lesson about appreciating what you have, with fabulous illustrations from Lane Smith."--IndieNext."This is one of my favorite picture books so far this year." --Cracking the Cover (blog)
"With this and Penguin Problems, John is clearly setting out to catalogue animal angst continent by continent, and audiences won't want to miss the trip."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Review, July/August 2018 issue
"Readers are afforded caring models for self-acceptance and unconditional friendship."--The Horn Book, Review, September/October 20