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.
"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."—School Library Journal, starred review
"Never one to let an opportunity for caricature go to waste, Smith stretches Edward’s neck to comical length... That it’s 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
"Lighthearted palaver by John (The Bad Seed) flows effortlessly, and the pair’s courtly manners (“That means a great deal to me, Edward”) are sure to garner laughs as their shared dismay rings true."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“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
“Smith’s artwork is eye-catching and expressive.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Review, August 15, 2018
“Readers are afforded caring models for self-acceptance and unconditional friendship.”
—The Horn Book, Review, September/October 2018 issue
