The purpose of this reading is to bring everything together: the text, the vocabulary, and the illustrations. The discussion and activity options focus on analyzing the main idea, theme, character traits, setting and how all of the story elements fit together.

During this reading your child and you will read the story all the way through. Three ways that you can add fun and improve recall during this reading:

~You may switch roles and become the listener and the questioner as your child “reads”(retells) the story to you.

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The focus of this reading is to read the story and talk about new vocabulary. There will be opportunities in this reading to connect the information in the illustrations to the information in the text.

Elliot’s mature comments versus his father’s innocence makes this book appealing to both the adult and the child. Ms. Buzzeo’s writes the dialogue between father and son in several different ways. Point out the difference between the speech bubbles and the thought bubbles to your listeners. Also, as you read the text you’ll notice that the text sparks additional humor within the illustrations.

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To allow the brain to focus on the information in the illustrations this reading will look only at the illustrations and the information they provide the young reader. There are no right or wrong answers in this reading. If the pages are not numbered page 1 is the first page of text.

Within the illustrations is humor for both the child and the adult. The same details will make both of you laugh. However, sometimes, Mr. Small appeals to the adult.

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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.

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