Grumpy Pants

Starred review from March 7, 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.

Starred review from March 1, 2016
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)

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Starred review from March 1, 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

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2016
Preschool-G Poor Penguin is grumpynot for any good reason, just garden-variety grumpiness. The problem is he can't shake it. He takes off his yellow slicker, boots, and hat, but he is still grumpy. Off come his stripy socks (still grumpy), polka dot overalls (still grumpy), and even his heart-spangled underpants, but he is still grumpy. Will he ever be happy again? Luckily, after taking a bath, snuggling up in his favorite pj's, sipping a cup of cocoa, and reading a cozy bedtime story, all is finally well again. Messer's charming block-print illustrations, in stormy blues and grays with bold splashes of color, have a pleasant texture and nicely convey Penguin's emotions, mostly through his emotive eyebrows. The big, expressive images on crisp white pages combine with the large font and straightforward sentences to make this especially well suited for sharing with a group. Little ones will likely giggle over the subtly bashful, disrobing penguin and sympathize with his cloudy mood, and the gentle lessongrouchiness is fleetingis a comforting one, for both kids and parents.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
Penguin is in a "very bad mood." Off come his "grumpy boots," "grumpy overalls," even his "grumpy underpants." A nice cold bath and a comforting bedtime routine turn his frown upside-down. Penguin humorously grumps and stomps and then visibly chills out in the spare linoleum-print illustrations with lots of white space. The simple text's repeated insistence of grumpiness sets the pace (and keeps things funny).

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2016
Penguin, dressed in yellow rain slicker and matching hat and standing under an ominous gray cloud, is in "a bad mood. A very bad mood." He stomps inside and begins shedding layers. Off come the "grumpy boots," "grumpy overalls," even his "grumpy underpants." But not even stripping down to his birthday suit can brighten his disposition. "I'm still grumpy, you know," he insists, arms crossed over his (implied) privates and throwing shade at viewers. A deep breath and a dive into a nice cold bath, complete with bubbles and a rubber ducky, begin to lift his spirits. "Little by little, he was starting to feel much better." Add a comforting bedtime routine of cozy PJs, cocoa, favorite book, and teddy bear, and you get one contented bird who's managed to turn his frown upside-down. Spare linoleum-print illustrations -- just the penguin, his clothes, a few motion lines, and some props -- 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). A simple text captures that bad-mood feeling -- "He didn't know why and he didn't care" -- with its repeated insistence of grumpiness to help set the pace (and keep things funny). And when the pattern breaks and things start looking up, it's a welcome reminder that bad moods don't last forever. elissa gershowitz

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)