Description

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What will it take to get Ernest to smile? Find out in Newbery Honor author Polly Horvath's picture book debut.

From the day he’s born, Ernest has few complaints. His family is lovely; the world has a lot to offer. He’d like there to be more elephants around, but hey, you can’t have everything. Ernest is just as happy as the next guy.

The trouble is, everyone around him is obsessed with smiling. His parents smile when he learns to walk, when he learns to talk, when he learns to button up his snowsuit. But smiling just isn’t for Ernest, and they can’t let it go. When drastic, elephant-related measures are taken, and Ernest still doesn’t smile, the whole family learns that sometimes loving someone means meeting in the middle.

Equal parts deadpan and genuine, Not a Smiley Guy is an ideal conversation starter for kids just discovering that we each have our own ways of showing how we feel. Readers who struggle to be understood will resonate with Ernest’s good-natured exasperation. 

Boris Kulikov’s textured, moody illustrations accompany National Book Award winner Polly Horvath’s sardonic tale of acceptance and intentional communication, as useful for grown-ups as it is for kids.

About the Author

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Polly Horvath has written many books for children, including Everything on a Waffle, a Newbery Honor Book, The Canning Season, a National Book Award winner, The Trolls, a National Book Award finalist, and Pine Island Home and Pine Island Visitors. She lives in British Columbia with her family. Visit her at www.PollyHorvath.com.

Boris Kulikov has illustrated many picture books, including Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming, Barnum’s Bones by Tracey Fern, the Max series by Kate Banks, and I’m Brave! I’m Strong! I’m Five by Cari Best. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Praise For…

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"Polly Horvath narrates the early life of an undemonstrative boy with fun and verve in 'Not a Smiley Guy,' a picture book for 4- to 6-year-olds with atmospheric illustrations by Boris Kulikov. . . A clever defense of interior states regardless of public expression—something adults are permitted without the scrutiny children receive."—Wall Street Journal

"Newbery Honor Book author and National Book Award winner Horvath champions the art of compromise."—Booklist

"Children will smile more than once while reading this quirky tale."—Kirkus Reviews

"Horvath’s whimsical writing style gives the quirky tale her hallmark blend of absurdism and wholeheartedness. . . a subtle but reassuring tale."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"[A] dry comedy . . . [with] sly, stylized illustrations. . . "—Publisher's Weekly