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I'm ...! - Machines at Work
I'm Cool!
For fans of all things snow and ice comes the latest addition to this hilarious read-aloud series from Kate and Jim McMullan, the popular creators of I Stink! and I'm Dirty! —now a streaming animated series. Perfect for any young hockey player, this book is all about the ice-cold Zamboni machine! When the ice is full of cuts and ruts, only one machine has the GUTS to clean it up. But can this slow-movin' ice fixer smooth the grooves before the next period? Or will he lose his COOL? The timer's ticking! BUZZZZZZ!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2015
4 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Kate McMullan
223 books153 followersKate McMullan is an American children's book author.
She is the author of the Dragon Slayers' Academy series. She is married to author and illustrator James McMullan.
She also has books published under the name: Katy Hall.
She is the author of the Dragon Slayers' Academy series. She is married to author and illustrator James McMullan.
She also has books published under the name: Katy Hall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
June 10, 2017
As a Canadian, Neo's patriotic duty is to like hockey. That said, when it comes down to ice, it is not always the smoothest or most reasonable. How can you turn bumpy ice into something glorious? Check out the zamboni in this story to tell all about how to do it and stay cool while pleasing the fans. Neo asked if we can see a zamboni in person, where all the action seems to be. All that will depend on WHICH team he chooses, but that is a story for another time.
January 31, 2016
I have conflicting feelings about this book.
Kate and Jim McMullan have written a series of books, dedicated to their grandson, which explain the workings of different big trucks.
This book, I'm Cool, is about a Zamboni machine.
I Stink! is about a garbage truck.
I'm Dirty! is about a backhoe loader.
Etc. etc. There are eight books so far.
The book starts off with a hockey game and the announcer talking. The Zamboni machine (who is alive and can speak) calls the announcer "Big Talker."
"'Cause I'm a blade-packing, ice-shaving, snow-eating, water spraying, slush-slurping, towel-dragging, triple-tank truck.
Yup."
The book really gets into the inner workings of a Zamboni machine and explains how exactly a Zamboni machine works.
Blade?
Shave the ice -
Vzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
And make it snow!
Level auger?
Spin snow to center.
Tall auger?
Whirl it up.
Paddle?
Shoot it into my belly of a snow tank!
We are able to see inside the Zamboni and see how all of this is happening.
Wash water,
Squirrrrrt!
Vacuum,
Suck up the yucky water.
Slurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp!
We get to see this inside, too.
Warm-water pipe,
Sprrrrrritz!
Fill up the DENTS and PITS and RUTS.
Towel,
S-P-R-E-A-D the water O-U-T.
Water, FREEZE
into fresh, slick ice.
Everybody is happy and the Zamboni is so proud of himself. Even the announcer admits he 'always wanted to drive one of those buggies.'
Coolest job in the world, right here, baby. Says the Zamboni with a little smirk at the end.
...
Okay, let's break this down.
THE BAD:
- The illustrations are ugly.
http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/ima...
- The text I find frankly uninteresting and poorly written. Now, keep in mind I am not a four-year-old obsessed with trucks. Obviously I am not the intended audience for this. But the book just wasn't fun or interesting to me.
- The Zamboni has a lot of attitude. He thinks he's really cool and amazing. He came off as a smug and a braggart to me. However, I realize that the title of this book is "I'm Cool," and will probably involve something 'acting cool' or whatever. So.
THE GOOD:
- Teaches kids how a Zamboni works. This might be interesting to those who love noisy and different vehicles or who enjoy hockey games.
Tl;dr - It's great that there is a series of books that teaches children how different kinds of vehicles work. This book actually tries to impart information. However, I think the text is clunky and unappealing and I think the illustrations are ugly. The children I read this to were not interested in the least bit.
Ages 0-6.
Kate and Jim McMullan have written a series of books, dedicated to their grandson, which explain the workings of different big trucks.
This book, I'm Cool, is about a Zamboni machine.
I Stink! is about a garbage truck.
I'm Dirty! is about a backhoe loader.
Etc. etc. There are eight books so far.
The book starts off with a hockey game and the announcer talking. The Zamboni machine (who is alive and can speak) calls the announcer "Big Talker."
"'Cause I'm a blade-packing, ice-shaving, snow-eating, water spraying, slush-slurping, towel-dragging, triple-tank truck.
Yup."
The book really gets into the inner workings of a Zamboni machine and explains how exactly a Zamboni machine works.
Blade?
Shave the ice -
Vzzzzzzzzzzzzt!
And make it snow!
Level auger?
Spin snow to center.
Tall auger?
Whirl it up.
Paddle?
Shoot it into my belly of a snow tank!
We are able to see inside the Zamboni and see how all of this is happening.
Wash water,
Squirrrrrt!
Vacuum,
Suck up the yucky water.
Slurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp!
We get to see this inside, too.
Warm-water pipe,
Sprrrrrritz!
Fill up the DENTS and PITS and RUTS.
Towel,
S-P-R-E-A-D the water O-U-T.
Water, FREEZE
into fresh, slick ice.
Everybody is happy and the Zamboni is so proud of himself. Even the announcer admits he 'always wanted to drive one of those buggies.'
Coolest job in the world, right here, baby. Says the Zamboni with a little smirk at the end.
...
Okay, let's break this down.
THE BAD:
- The illustrations are ugly.
http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/ima...
- The text I find frankly uninteresting and poorly written. Now, keep in mind I am not a four-year-old obsessed with trucks. Obviously I am not the intended audience for this. But the book just wasn't fun or interesting to me.
- The Zamboni has a lot of attitude. He thinks he's really cool and amazing. He came off as a smug and a braggart to me. However, I realize that the title of this book is "I'm Cool," and will probably involve something 'acting cool' or whatever. So.
THE GOOD:
- Teaches kids how a Zamboni works. This might be interesting to those who love noisy and different vehicles or who enjoy hockey games.
Tl;dr - It's great that there is a series of books that teaches children how different kinds of vehicles work. This book actually tries to impart information. However, I think the text is clunky and unappealing and I think the illustrations are ugly. The children I read this to were not interested in the least bit.
Ages 0-6.
January 31, 2018
Everybody loves the Zamboni!
Cute instructional tale for kiddos about how our hero makes the ice nice and smooth in eighteen minutes or less. Wasn't my kind of thing, but I guess big machine fanciers will love it.
Cute instructional tale for kiddos about how our hero makes the ice nice and smooth in eighteen minutes or less. Wasn't my kind of thing, but I guess big machine fanciers will love it.
August 6, 2016
2* art
5* story
(There are precious few books about Zambonis, so thank goodness for the McMullans.) Squirt and I always stop after our swim at the rec centre to watch the Zamboni clean the ice rink. The driver smiles and waves each time he passes us, and Squirt adores everything about it. So finding a book about one was just perfect. He now knows exactly how they work and wants to drive one when he's big. A lot of fun.
5* story
(There are precious few books about Zambonis, so thank goodness for the McMullans.) Squirt and I always stop after our swim at the rec centre to watch the Zamboni clean the ice rink. The driver smiles and waves each time he passes us, and Squirt adores everything about it. So finding a book about one was just perfect. He now knows exactly how they work and wants to drive one when he's big. A lot of fun.
November 7, 2015
A look at what a zamboni does during the course of a hockey game. Though it seemed like it took too long for my tastes for this book to get going (i.e. enough with the arguing back and forth between the machine and the announcer!), once it introduced readers to the inner workings of the machine, this book really hit its stride.
Watercolor and gouache illustrations. PreK-2.
Watercolor and gouache illustrations. PreK-2.
November 11, 2015
Children with a zest for all things transportation will enjoy this action-packed and brightly illustrated picture book about zamboni. I honestly can't think of another book about zamboni, so well done when it comes to filling this niche. The story is a trifle bland, but one can readily overlook that thanks to the cheerful illustrations. Recommended.
November 16, 2015
I love the way this combines humor and also demonstrates how a Zamboni machine works. Great use of diagrams -- definitely incorpoarte this when kids study simple machines. Plus it would be a great one to use as a model for voice in kids' own writing.
"Shave the Ice---
Vzzzzzzt!
And make it snow!
Level auger?
Spin snow to center.
Tall auger?
Whirl it up."
"Shave the Ice---
Vzzzzzzt!
And make it snow!
Level auger?
Spin snow to center.
Tall auger?
Whirl it up."
November 24, 2015
I'm not sure my little one understood the "cool" attitude of the main character here. Or any of the hockey references. Or any of the machinery pieces that were not explicitly drawn. But who cares? This is the one and only picture book ABOUT A ZAMBONI MACHINE!!!!!! Boys age 5 and under can now rest happily.
October 9, 2015
Kids know what a train, car and garbage truck are, but few of them are familiar with the Zamboni and his important job on the ice rink. This one will be fun to read aloud with the voices of the sports announcer and the Zamboni.
October 11, 2015
Age: Preschool
Sports: Hockey
Although there are some rough spots in the book, the McMullans do a good job trying to explain the science of the zamboni machine in as few words as possible for a younger crowd's attention. For those wanting more info, check out the nonfiction section.
Sports: Hockey
Although there are some rough spots in the book, the McMullans do a good job trying to explain the science of the zamboni machine in as few words as possible for a younger crowd's attention. For those wanting more info, check out the nonfiction section.
January 12, 2016
From the people who brought you I'm Dirty and I stink comes the story of the Great Zamboni. The Zamboni describes how he smooths the ice at a hockey game. Great for those kids who just love machines. I think the sports commentator is rude, though.
October 20, 2015
For the young hockey enthusiast. I learned something, too!
October 25, 2015
I thought this one was cute, and it's a nice idea to include a zamboni in with the big vehicle books. However, I think this title will only be popular in certain regions.
October 31, 2015
Cute book, would be great for any sports loving child.
November 2, 2015
Fun to learn about the Zamboni Machine that cleans the ice!
November 23, 2015
Is this Zamboni up to the challenge of smoothing the ice? Interesting blend of science, "magic" and imagination. This is one cool truck.
December 22, 2015
I've cooled off on this series myself. But I did like learning how a zamboni works.
January 7, 2016
Dude, I always wondered how Zambonis worked.
January 11, 2016
Oh my goodness--my students are gonna eat this up.
January 13, 2016
Perfect for Hockey fans and fans of McMullan's other books. I loved how the sports announcer introduces the text and the zamboni. This book is sure to be a hit with preschoolers.
February 12, 2016
Darling illustrations! Very cute book. Fiction but actually explains the inner workings of a Zamboni machine
February 11, 2016
Ugh. I hate hockey. It was somewhat interesting to learn how a zamboni works, though.
July 3, 2019
So my son rates this book 5 stars. I enjoy snuggling up and reading to him. Seeing as we're from Texas I don't think he's ever heard of a zamboni before. However you know, 4 years olds and trucks... It was interesting to me to understand what exactly this truck does. The attitude of the characters seemed a bit cocky for a children's book.
February 5, 2023
I’m Cool! by Kate and Jim Mcmullan is a easy read about how a Zamboni works to smooth ice! The cartoon Zamboni walks through the steps of how each mechanism works and would be a great read for a young child who’s interested in hockey.
January 29, 2024
Great for reading one-on-one; extra points if you do silly voices for Z-Machine and the announcer. This book series is full of cute trucks and interesting information. The zamboni might be the coolest truck out there, no pun intended. I learned a lot from this one.
February 6, 2025
For anyone who has ever wondered why the zamboni machine moves so slowly, this is the book for you! There are nine distinct steps with this machine...fascinating stuff and, of course, it does an amazing job. This book also offers the good lesson that important things need to be handled slowly.
February 17, 2017
Really cute to teach kids how a zamboni machine works! also, about patience!
November 18, 2017
This is a book about a zamboni machine - the big truck that repairs and renews the ice in an ice rink. Great fun the way it's told - the zamboni telling his own story.
June 27, 2018
Interesting, quick story of the zamboni.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews