Don't play games on easy - EVER. Give yourself at least SOME challenge. 2nd level up is challenging without being a walk in the park. Choose your initial island wisely! (Pick a biggie). Getting to City is pretty easy, it's a slog to get to Province though. I rushed province holding a few thousand Science points. Grabbed a few new technologies and settled back into the City level for a few years. I'm back in Province now. Having to redesign your settlements is a royal pain in the rump. I'm now looking at the King level building sizes while I am re-designing my Province islands, so hopefully the King level will be a smoother transition.
Big Tip - there are no 6 year old penguins! Get rid of your aging penguins, either for gold or for rep. You can also use this feature to get rid of the less happy and less educated penguins sometimes.
Explore, Explore, Explore.

This game is better than your average city builder although there are some harsh lessons along the way. As long as you aren't a princess about setbacks this game can be challenging and fun. Figure out the game mechanics and use them to your advantage!