ABOUT THIS BOOK: ONE COOL FRIEND
by Toni Buzzeo
One Cool Friend has many unique attributes that make it an award winner. David Small’s ink and watercolor illustrations earned praise as a 2013 Caldecott Honor Book. This book has been selected as a Dolly Parton Imagination Library selection. It is both a New York Times Best Seller and a Junior Library Guild selection.
Ms. Buzzeo’s text is straightforward. However, attention must be paid to individual words in the text that have multiple meanings and lead to a surprise ending. Comments made by Elliot and his father are very formal and polite. Your listener may wonder if there are people who really talk to each other in this fashion.
The illustrations are full of the regular information about setting, plot, and characters. However, Mr. Small uses very expressive faces, as did Dr. Seuss in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Paying attention to the looks on the character’s faces will increase the listener’s comprehension and add to the humor. Dialogue is cleverly imbedded in the illustrations in speech bubbles.
The Reading Comprehension Best Practice chosen for this book is Self-Monitoring Comprehension. Self-monitoring of the text is when a good readers stops during her reading to make sure that she is understanding the plot and dialogue, especially after an unexpected turn of events or coming upon unfamiliar vocabulary. Stopping your reading to try to understand the unexpected or unfamiliar helps the brain analyze what has happened and proceed with stronger comprehension.
After you and your listener finish the book, you’ll discuss why the penguin is the perfect pet for Elliot and whether he should keep the penguin. This is a humorous book that will make readers of all ages smile.