I Don't Like Koala

Adam does not like Koala. Koala is a little creepy. Adam tries explaining this to his parents. He tries putting Koala away-far away. He tries taking Koala on a long, long walk. Nothing works. Will Adam ever be rid of Koala? This darkly funny debut picture book from Sean Ferrell and Charles Santoso celebrates imagination and bravery while addressing a universal childhood dilemma: what to do about that one stuffed animal who just won't stop staring at you.

"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?", "[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.", "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.", "Persuasive and funny...witty, elegant pencil illustrations.", * "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."

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 and dreaming about wondrous stories. He gathers inspiration from his childhood memories, and curiosities he discovers in his everyday travels. He has illustrated several picture books, including I Don’t Like Koala by Sean Ferrell. Charles also works as a visual development artist, creating illustrations for feature film projects. He lives and works in Sydney, Australia. You can visit him at CharlesSantoso.com.