Giraffe Problems - By Jory John ( Hardcover )

About the Book

In this companion to John and Smith's "Penguin Problems, " Cyrus the giraffe can't understand why his neck is as long and bendy and, well, ridiculous as it is. With help from a turtle, Cyrus begins to understand that his neck has a purpose. Full color.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

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

About The Author

JORY JOHN is a New York Times bestselling author and two-time E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor recipient. Jory's previous collaboration with Lane Smith was the national bestselling picture book, Penguin Problems, an Amazon Best Children's Book of the Year selection. Jory's work also includes the award-winning Goodnight Already! series, the bestselling Terrible Two series, the national bestseller All my friends are dead, and the recent picture books I Will Chomp You!, Quit Calling Me a Monster! and The Bad Seed, among many other books for both children and adults. He lives and works in Oregon. Find out more at joryjohn.com.

LANE SMITH (also the illustrator of Penguin Problems) has written and illustrated a bunch of stuff, including Grandpa Green, which was a 2012 Caldecott Honor Book; It's a Book, which has been translated into over twenty-five languages; and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! Four of his books have been New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year. In 2012 the Eric Carle Museum named him an Honor Artist for lifelong innovation in the field of children's books. In 2014 he received the Society of Illustrators Lifetime Achievement Award. Lane and book designer Molly Leach live in rural Connecticut. Visit him on the Web at lanesmithbooks.com.