There’s a new critter inhabiting the creative imaginations of Suzanne Lang and Max Lang. The author and illustrator of the bestselling Grumpy Monkey series will introduce another picture book protagonist on September 2, when Random House Studio publishes Archibald and the Furry Dinosaurs. The cover is revealed here for the first time.
Grumpy Monkey, aka the entertainingly moody Jim Panzee, found an appreciative audience after his 2018 debut. The series has grown to encompass five jacketed picture books, four paper-over-board seasonal picture books, a pair of graphic novels, five board books, and four Step into Reading titles. Available in 32 languages, the series has sold more than 5.8 million copies worldwide and spawned multiple commercial licenses, including toys, games, and apparel.
In Archibald and the Furry Dinosaurs, the aptly named title character is peeved that he is the only dinosaur in the land without fur, so he embarks on a perilous quest to find his lost locks. Though the voyager ends his journey as bald as ever, he discovers that his life is splendid as is, and that it’s better to focus on what you do have rather than what you don’t.
The character of the intrepid dino was long in the making, Suzanne explained. “Actually, the very first version of Archibald goes back easily 10 years, maybe more,” she said. “Max and I continually have ideas for stories and characters, but you never know what will strike a chord or when. Often, it’s about the luck of the timing.”
Thanks to years of collaboration, the Langs work in tandem fluently. “The idea always comes first, sometimes in visual form, sometimes in words,” Max said. If there’s a spark of an idea that excites us, we work on the story together and it usually evolves into a back-and-forth of text and sketches until we’re happy with the flow of the story. I’m a strong believer in looking at words and pictures at the same time, as ideally they should complement each other.”
Archibald and the Furry Dinosaurs evolved from the illustrator’s sketches of fur-covered dinosaurs, which, he recalled “got me thinking how fun it would be to see that in a book.” Coincidentally, since the initial book idea emerged, Max added, “several scientific articles have been published on the subject and there are paleontologists who now believe some dinosaurs might have had fur.”
Bringing Archibald to Life
Farrin Jacobs, executive editor at Random House Studio, joined the Grumpy Monkey—and Archibald—team last August, when the Langs’ longtime editor, Maria Modugno, retired.
“I was so excited when I learned that Suzanne and Max were working on a book with a new character,” Jacobs said. “This is their first non-Grumpy Monkey title in years, and I instantly loved Archibald. He is sweet and funny and kind and determined—you can’t help but root for him. And he’s a good model for being different and embracing being okay with that. I am thrilled to be the one to help shepherd him through the editorial process.”
Nicole Gastonguay, assistant director of art and design, has been at Random House Children’s Books since 2015, and has worked—very happily—on every Grumpy Monkey book. “It’s been an amazing journey, and I’m proud to have been there since day one,” she said.
Designing the covers for that series—and for Archibald—is a collaborative process, Gastonguay noted. “It starts with Max giving us a few cover concepts. I polish them a little more and then meet with editorial to make sure it aligns with how they hope to position the book in the marketplace. We don’t always get it right at first, but in the end, nobody knows their audience better than Max and Suzanne do.”
The designer faced a new challenge devising the cover design for Archibald: to introduce a new character from a totally different universe than Jim Panzee’s, but to make the cover similar enough to Grumpy Monkey to ensure, she said, “that readers know at a glance that they are getting the Langs. Having Archibald be at a narrower, taller trim size was an easy way to differentiate them. Another hurdle was how to best show Archibald and all the furry dinosaurs while maintaining the same bold impact each Grumpy Monkey cover has. This was no easy task, but I hope we made it look easy!”
The Langs, who have no current plans to create a sequel to Archibald, have been busy in Grumpy Monkey’s universe. Due out are a Mother’s Day picture book, Grumpy Monkey Mom for a Day (April); graphic novel Grumpy Monkey School Stinks! (June); and board book Grumpy Monkey Mine! (Sept.).
Though specifics are still under wraps, Suzanne shared that the Langs “have another new character who is likely to debut in 2026.” And beyond that, she added, “we have a lot of ideas for new characters and stories that are in early stages that we are working to flesh out.”
Max noted, “Working with new characters can be challenging and exciting at the same time. Anything is possible. With this book, we went through many more iterations of tone, text, and design compared to a typical Grumpy Monkey book, for which the framework is established. But again, that is also the fun of it. I guess that’s what Archibald is ultimately about too—focus on what you have and not on what you don’t.”
Archibald and the Furry Dinosaurs by Suzanne Lang, illus. by Max Lang. Random House Studio, $18.99 (Sept. 2) ISBN 978-0-593-81196-2
