I Am Not Happy!

by Caroline L Perry, Sydney Hanson (Illustrator)

Overview

In the vein of Grumpy Monkey and Unicorns Are the Worst!, this hilarious picture book introduces the adorable quokka, who—despite his ever-present smile—is definitely not as happy as he looks!

With its bright eyes, puffy cheeks, and beaming smile, the quokka is clearly the happiest animal on earth. Or is it? This quokka is here to tell you…he is not happy! At least not all the time. Just like everyone else, he can be sulky, or sorry, or sad; but you’d never know from the look on his face! So, what’s a moody marsupial to do when he’s being misunderstood? Teach every other animal from kangaroos to koalas not to judge a critter by its cover!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665953368
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	10/07/2025
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	42 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Caroline L. Perry has always thought that Aussie animals are amazing, but a close encounter with a quokka made her the happiest human on Earth. Born in the UK, Caroline hopped around several countries before settling in Los Angeles, California. When she isn’t working on her children’s books and volunteering as a kids’ writing coach, she spends her time planning adventures with her Kiwi-Aussie husband and their three mini-marsupials, who can always turn her frown upside down. Caroline is the author of The Corgi and the Queen, I Am Not Happy!, and several forthcoming books for young readers. Say “g’day” at CarolineLPerry.com.

Sydney Hanson is the illustrator of Construction Cat by Barbara Odanaka and I Am Not Happy! by Caroline L. Perry. She was raised in Minnesota alongside numerous pets and brothers. When she wasn’t tunneling through snowdrifts or rescuing frogs from rain gutters, she was drawing. Her illustrations and paintings still reflect these early adventures and are marked by a love for animals and the natural world. She lives in Los Angeles where she’s worked for several animation shops. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time outside with her adopted brother, a Labrador retriever named Cash.

Editorial Reviews

"The quokka’s narration is delightfully over-the-top ('Behind my twinkling smile lies an ocean of inner torment'), and the juxtaposition of his enormous smile with the scenarios he experiences is just as funny, sure to elicit laughs during a readaloud."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Sure to inspire a grin in even the grumpiest animal lover, Perry’s amusing text is well suited to Hanson’s impish artwork; both are suffused with a delightfully Pixar-esque comedic sweetness. Silly, cute, and lightly infused with a lesson on environmental respect."

Kirkus Reviews

2025-07-19
Readers beware—there’s more to this beaming Australian marsupial than meets the eye.

Happiest animal on Earth? The quokka at the center of this tale would like a word. Sure, the creature’s cherubic cheeks are round with apparently unfettered cheer, but don’t judge a joey by its cover. This jolly expression does little to reflect the roiling “ocean of inner torment” that plagues our protagonist. The quokka demonstrates as a series of unfortunate events ensue—a scoop of ice cream tumbles from its cone and into the dust; a buzzing bee flits ominously nearby. Each affront is met with the same sparkling grin. But that’s not the only misunderstanding that bedevils this irascible mammal. Not only are pesky humans constantly gawking at the “huge, smiley rat”—the quokka is a marsupial who rarely snacks on trash, thank you very much—they’re disrupting our hero’s sleep to demand selfies! Will these trials never cease? This ultra-silly jaunt around Wadjemup—a.k.a. Rottnest Island, just off the coast of Perth, Western Australia—manages to deliver a conservationist message without sacrificing an ounce of goofiness; backmatter discusses the real-life impact of tourism on these creatures. Sure to inspire a grin in even the grumpiest animal lover, Perry’s amusing text is well suited to Hanson’s impish artwork; both are suffused with a delightfully Pixar-esque comedic sweetness.

Silly, cute, and lightly infused with a lesson on environmental respect. (additional information about quokkas)(Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews