I AM NOT HAPPY!

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.