Penguin Problems by Jory John and Lane Smith (Walker Books)

Here's a quirky and hilarious new children's picture book that asks a very important question. Is it really that great being a penguin?
Having recently watched Antarctic penguins risking life and limb to deliver food to their chicks in the BBC's awesome first "Planet Earth II" episode, we could really see where this book was coming from the minute we flipped open that awesome cover.

Jory John and Lane Smith have teamed up to produce a rib-tickling expose of Penguin life. It's not all about waddling around an ice floe eating fish and looking cute. Penguin life comes with a ton of problems. Penguin Problems!

First off, you may not know this but Antarctica is FREEZING! I mean even colder than the office that I'm typing this review in (with my gloves on so forgive my typing!)

Also Penguins are tasty. Admittedly not as tasty as the biscuits that share their name but they're still a choice morsel when there's not much else around to eat, and so penguins have a ton of natural predators all looking to p-p-p-pick up a penguin for lunch.

Penguin habitats are hugely overcrowded and you may have noticed that most penguins look identical so if you're a wee penguin trying to find your mum, it's a difficult job!

And, phew, penguins STINK! I mean really pong! So why on earth would anyone ever want to be a penguin?

There is a flip side to the story which is brilliant, funny and might just make you think twice about coming back and being reincarnated as one of these fascinating little birds. A ton of fun, "Penguin Problems" is perfect for your penguin-preferring podlets!

"Penguin Problems" by Jory John and Lane Smith is out now, published by Walker Books (kindly sent for review). P-p-p-ick up a copy p-p-pronto!