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Summary
Summary
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.
Author Notes
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.
Reviews (2)
Publisher's Weekly Review
This dry comedy stars a child who doesn't smile no matter what his parents do. "Nice people," Ernest reflects as an infant, looking up at his relations. "What a good family to be born into. The only thing that would make it better would be some elephants." Sly, stylized mixed-media paintings by Kulikov (Stay Curious!) gesture toward Ernest's obsession by hiding a pachyderm in every spread. Even as he perceives the elephants, though, Ernest finds that "aside from the interesting stretchy face sensation," smiling is just not for him. When even the gift of a talking elephant doesn't make Ernest grin, his despairing mother asks why the boy is unhappy. "I'm almost always happy," Ernest explains. "I'm just not a smiley guy." Further pushed to signal contentment, he agrees to do a little jig by way of exhibiting the emotion, though "maybe not every time." Newbery Honoree Horvath lightly exploits the chilling narrative possibilities of living with, and occasionally conceding to, loved ones who both hold power and can't see past their own expectations: "You don't have to change," the book states, "but for the people you love you do what you can." Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4--6. (Apr.)
Kirkus Review
You can be happy, even if your face doesn't show it. As a newborn, Ernest enjoys his parents' smiles, and he realizes he has a nice family. As he gets older, he discovers many more smilers among relatives and neighbors. He wishes he could also meet some elephants, but, as he notes, "You can't have everything." The smilers want him to smile, too, but contorting his face like that isn't Ernest's thing. He tries it once, but after that--nah. He does other things his parents like: He learns to walk, talk, and eat neatly; he can even put on his snowsuit by himself. Yet they still expect grins. They take him on outings to stimulate smiles, but nothing works. Ernest's parents finally capitulate and get him his longed-for elephant, named Marcia, whom he brings to kindergarten for show and tell. Walking home afterward, Ernest tells his parents that he is a happy child, just not a smiley one--which makes them happy. This is an offbeat story, but it's not just about smiling per se. Rather, it sends reassuring messages: It's OK to be who you are, and others should accept you for being yourself. The gouache-and-watercolor illustrations are lively and comical and will elicit chuckles. Ernest and his family are light-skinned; background characters are diverse. Children will smile more than once while reading this quirky tale--even if its protagonist probably wouldn't. (Picture book. 5-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
