With a story as whimsical as Imogene’s Antlers (also by illustrator David Small), readers will discover exactly how to get a distracted parent’s permission to bring home a pet penguin. Sorry, mom and dad. (Grade level 1+.)
One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Good story, excellent illustrations – One Cool Friend is an off-kilter book that lets you get used to its absurdity in time to *still* be surprised by the ending. After the first reading, I found that Small’s art was doing more of the heavy lifting, as previously-unnoticed clues and jokes made themselves seen. As a teacher, I often prefer this balance, as students seem more apt to put their own spin on retellings.
