Sean Ferrell is the author of two novels for adults, Numb and Man
in the Empty Suit. He has since grown up and started writing for
children, too. His picture book I Don’t Like Koala was published by
Atheneum in 2015, and The Snurtch, also from Atheneum,
was published in 2016. He lives and works, in no particular
order, in Brooklyn. Visit Sean online at SeanFerrell.com.
Charles Santoso loves drawing little things in his little journal.
He gathers inspiration from his childhood memories and curiosities
he discovers in his everyday travels. He has illustrated several
picture books, including The Snurtch, I Don’t Like Koala,
Finding Muchness, and Ida, Always. Charles also works as a visual
development artist, creating illustrations for feature film
projects. He lives and works in Singapore. You can visit him at
CharlesSantoso.com.
"Everyone will like I Don’t Like Koala eventually. You see even if
they are so misguided as to not like it immediately Koala will
handle it himself. That’s what he does with his terrible eyes and
his warm, mysterious, determined heart. Terrific illustrations and
a great story, what’s not to like?"
*Publishers Weekly ShelfTalker, August 28, 2014*
"[T]he tale is hilarious, especially Adam's (unsuccessful) attempts
to banish Koala...clever artwork shows that Adam may not have
traveled as far as he claims. Santoso's sly pencil illustrations,
colored digitally in a mostly blue, gray and brown palette,
resemble animation with shading and texturizing lines. The end
features a twist and a closing line worthy of Sandra Boynton's But
Not the Hippopotamus (1982). Slightly creepy, funny and fun."
*Kirkus Reviews, February 2015*
"Concise illustrations stand out beside adroitly placed text,
leaving plenty of white space on most pages.... Adam’s expressive
face perfectly portrays his doubts and frustration. The cinematic
quality of the digitally colored pencil drawings add drama to the
little boy’s dilemma.... [A] clever title."
*School Library Journal, February 2015*
"Persuasive and funny...witty, elegant pencil illustrations."
*Publishers Weekly, February 2015*
* "Adam opens his present, Koala the teddy bear, and it’s an
instant case of hate at first sight.... Muted grey, red, and aqua
pencil drawings soften the story’s edge, but also enhance its
lurking shadows. The wonderfully funny, quirky illustrations are
especially effective in capturing Koala’s vacant, spooky stare. The
story’s creepy moments are offset by humor, as Adam’s constantly
foiled attempts to lose his plush companion nudge the absurd,
making it a worthy companion to Franny Billingsley's Big Bad Bunny
(2008) or Jon Davis' Small Blue and the Deep Dark Night (2014).
While it may be a bit much for especially sensitive audiences, most
young readers will delight in this pseudo-scary story."
*Booklist, March 2015, *STARRED REVIEW**
"Picture this front-matter illustration: a boxed gift neatly tied
up with red ribbon. An eager little boy with arms outstretched.
It’s a perfect Kodak (ahem, make that smart-phone) moment. But when
the lid comes off the gift box, revealing a plush toy koala, all
the white space between the boy, Adam, and the stuffed animal
speaks volumes.... Ferrell’s writing is lean and funny, and he
wraps things up with a didn’t-see-that-coming twist. Santoso’s
pencil drawings, colored with a muted digital palette, are finely
textured, with clever, memorable details—including, of course,
Koala’s creepy eyes."
*Horn Book Magazine, March/April 2015*
"It’s not often you see picture books capable of both humor and
genuine creepiness... the book’s greatest charm...[is] its very
understated humor. This works well, in large part thanks to Charles
Santoso’s illustrations: The colors are restrained, yet Adam’s
expressions are often off-the-chart funny... comedy gold.
In the end, Adam finds comfort in Koala, and Ferrell wraps it all
up with a very funny and unexpected comic rimshot.
It’s a story with a lot to like."
*BookPage.com, April 2015*
"In his first book for young people, Sean Ferrell (The Man in the
Empty Suit) teams up with...children's book artist Charles Santoso
for a deliciously creepy tale of a child and his toy koala....
Ferrell's turning of the tables makes humor the antidote for the
horror Adam feels, while Santoso's artwork assures children that
Adam is never truly in danger.... A clever picture book that walks
the line between humor and horror for a child afraid of his creepy
toy koala."
*Shelf Awareness, May 22, 2015*
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