One Cool Friend

by Toni Buzzeo, David Small (illustrator)

On a momentous visit to the aquarium, Elliot discovers his dream pet: a penguin. It's just proper enough for a straight-laced boy like him. And when he asks his father if he may have one (please and thank you), his father says yes. Elliot should have realized that Dad probably thought he meant a stuffed penguin and not a real one . . . Clever illustrations and a wild surprise ending make this sly, silly tale of friendship and wish fulfillment a kid-pleaser from start to finish.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Humor, Fiction, Friendship, Storytime

Paperback

First published January 10, 2012

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very proper boy who loves his tuxedo goes to the aquarium with his dad one day. He avoids all the mobs of children and finds himself around the penguin tank. He asks his dad if he can get a penguin and his dad gives him 20$ for a stuffed animal. Elliot goes to the tank and picks out a small penguin and takes him home.

I do enjoy the artwork and the story of this fun little story. David Small uses just a little splash of color here or there and keeps the cleanness of the black and white mostly. Elliot does take good care of his new pet.

Well, my nephew has always loved penguins. He has stuffed animals and he just loves them. He goes to the zoo to see penguins. He wants to bring one home like Elliot did. He loves this story. He thinks its the best idea in the world. He gave this book 5 stars. The niece found this story entertaining. She said it was good. She gave it 3 stars.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I checked out this book because David Small is the illustrator. I love his art, and so, when I saw this book at the library, I ordered it.

I didn’t realize I was in for a captivating, silly adventure!

This is the story of Elliot, a very formal boy who likes to wear tuxedos. He doesn’t seem to play with others. He lives with his eccentric, explorer father, who seems to indulge his son by giving in to his interests, and not really paying much attention to his requests.

As an example…

Off to the aquarium they go.

And…

Elliot wants a penguin.

Because…

Let’s face it. Penguins are dressed very similar to Elliot.

So…

Let’s take in the scene for a moment.

Elliot has just requested a penguin from his father.

His father who is sitting with his nose in a book, notices a bunch of stuffed penguins in the aquarium store.

So…

What does he do?

He absentmindedly gives Elliot $20.

And…

Off Elliot goes.

“Where’s your penguin?” his father asks.

“In my backpack. Thanks for asking.” Elliot responds.

It really isn’t until the end of the story that the father learns the truth.

And…

It isn’t until the end of the story, that the readers learn even more about Elliot’s escapades.

You see…

(no spoilers from me!)

The story is fun and silly and joyful…

And…

Let’s see, what learning lesson could be here…

Parents, pay closer attention to your child!

Interest level: reading age: 5-8 years – Grades: Kindergarten – 3rd

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have absolutely adored David Small's accompanying illustrations (they are lively, fun and expressive, and even though I am usually not that much of a fan of mostly black and white cartoon like renderings, in this case, for One Cool Friend, they work incredibly well with Toni Buzzeo's presented narrative, with especially the little splashes of depicted colour delightfully focusing one's eyes), I just cannot at all appreciate (or even all that much accept) the entire concept of the book, of what transpires within the actual pages of One Cool Friend. For although I can indeed understand prim and proper Elliot desiring a penguin of his own (because first and foremost, their physical appearance reminds him so much of himself and his own tuxedo-clad demeanour), I can neither comprehend and in any way tolerate him crawling into the penguin exhibit of the local aquarium to basically take a young penguin chick from its parents, its family unit nor fathom that both Elliot's father and aquarium officials never even notice this, never even become aware of what the boy has done (and that it takes Elliot's clearly completely oblivious father almost to the end of One Cool Friend to become cognizant of the fact that his son has a penguin chick stowed in their domicile, that really does take the proverbial cake for me).

Now perhaps I am being a trifle overly sensitive and hypercritical here, but yes, my personal reading reaction to Toni Buzzeo's narrative, to the entire storyline of One Cool Friend has pretty well been entirely negative and as such rather majorly similar to how I reacted to Richard Atwater's Mr. Popper's Penguins when I perused said novel earlier this year (that while these two books might indeed be funny and entertaining to a point, I just on a personal and also on an academic and scientific level cannot abide that in both Mr. Popper's Penguins and in One Cool Friend, penguins are basically taken and housed in conditions not in any way appropriate or natural), and no, Elliot creating a skating rink for his "kidnapped" penguin "friend" Magellan, having him sleep in the kitchen freezer and letting him swim in a cold water filled bathtub are not what I would consider acceptable penguin friendly options in any way.

Therefore, and even though I did chuckle once or twice whilst reading One Cool Friend, I mostly was (and remain) grumbling and pretty much frustrated (even somewhat angry). And yes, my three star ranking is absolutely and only for David Small's illustrations (for without them, I would definitely be considering a low two star ranking and perhaps even a high one star ranking for One Cool Friend). But David Small's delightful and fun illustrations do at least partially redeem this book for me (however, and even though I do very much understand and celebrate that David Small won a 2013 Caldecott Honour designation for his accompanying pictures, his entertainingly expressive images, I still could really do without the entire concept and set-up of One Cool Friend and really do much wish that Toni Buzzeo had created an entirely different type of penguin tale, or at least a story where young Elliot is actually made to see the error of his ways, is made to understand that his actions, his stealing, his taking a young penguin chick from the penguin exhibit of the aquarium was not and is not at all comme il faut acceptable behaviour).

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enthusiastic about this book because I’m a fan of David Small's illustrations, and they are wonderful here, but so is the story. It’s completely charming and absolutely adorable, and very amusing. Both story and pictures are at times very, very funny.

The story and pictures are both stellar. I love the boy, the penguin, the father, and the surprise/twist ending, and the science too.

The book’s humor reminds me somewhat of the Bad Bears books by Daniel Pinkwater and that is high praise indeed.

Some warnings: vegan kids might have questions and their adults might want to have discussions, very young kids might need to be told a freezer is not conducive to staying alive, kids will probably clamor to go to the aquarium or other places to visit penguins, kids might ask for a penguin as a pet. But it’s all worth it. This book is worth owning and it’s also gift worthy. It’s a winner.

Highly enjoyable!

A tremendous amount of gratitude for Goodreads friend Kathryn’s review for motivating me to get to this one. Unlike Kathryn, I did not see the end coming. Off now to reread.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is so much fun! I think it should be taken as pure fantasy (don’t get too up in arms about the penguin not being in his natural habitat) and then it’s just a delight. I’m already a fan of David Small’s illustrations and they shine here. That very proper, polite young Elliot has such a perfect look and it’s so cute how he looks kind of like his new penguin friend. I love the contrast between him and his father—yet how alike they are in some ways, too. The father’s look is great, too, and I love all the little details that provide clues to the surprise (though I guessed it) ending. This is one I could see reading over again to find more little hints and knowing the ending would show everything in a new light. A winner!

[Scottsdale Public Library]

A picture perfect manual to how to take care of a penguin if you live in one cool apartment with a really cool 'understanding' father. - Monty

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

An oh-so-proper young boy named Elliot finds his dream companion in this picture-book from author Toni Buzzeo and illustrator David Small. Attending Family Fun Day at the local aquarium with his father, Elliot falls desperately in love with the Magellanic penguins, asking his father if he can have one. His distracted parent, thinking he is talking about a stuffed animal, duly hands over a twenty dollar bill (and gives his permission), and soon Elliot and his new spheniscine friend are settling in together at home. His clueless dad is oblivious to the goings on - from Elliot cranking the AC in his room, to creating an ice rink for the new resident - until he goes to take a bath and finds a (live!) penguin already in the tub. Will Elliot be in trouble? Or will there be a surprise in store for him...?

Readers familiar with David Small's hilarious Imogene's Antlers will smile in recognition at the amusing surprise ending here, in which Elliot's father turns out to have a similar pet of his own, in the form of a Galapagos turtle. The story is engaging, and will keep children who long for a special animal companion of their own entertained, while the artwork is expressive and amusing. All that said, somehow I just didn't find One Cool Friend to be quite the stand-out that I expected it to be, based on my friends' rave reviews. I enjoyed it - I appreciated the visual parallel created between the suit-wearing Elliot and his penguin, as well as the little illustrative clues about Elliot's father and his own turtle companion, and can see why this was chosen as a Caldecott Honor Book earlier this year - but somehow in the end, I just wasn't as involved in the story as I thought I would be. My funnybone wasn't tickled in quite the way that it was reading Small's Imogene's Antlers , or Margaret Mahy's The Boy Who Was Followed Home .

Of course humor is very idiosyncratic, so I suspect that many other readers will take One Cool Friend entirely to heart. I'd recommend this one to young penguin-lovers, and to children who long for an unusual animal companion of their own.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

23 April 2012

Awwww! I've been a David Small fan for quite a while, now I'll have to add Toni Buzzeo to my list. Reminiscent of Mr. Popper's Penguins in the best way, I would expect this to be popular with any kid who dreams of having an unusual pet. I was thoroughly enchanted, because Penguin! but the Buzzeo and Small get that urban legend feel just right: it's too perfect to be real, and yet, it's believable.

I don't usually talk much about the art, but I really like the color palettes for Elliot and his dad, and the different feel of their styles. These are not densely packed illustrations, there's a lot of white space, and a cool, jazz-like mood. Elliot's dad reminded me of the father in The Teddy Bear Habit, although I'm not sure why: the benign neglect, maybe?

I'll have to read it again soon, since I won't add a book to my Beloved shelf until I've read it twice, at least. This one is going to hold up.

Library copy.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very humorous story about an inquisitive, polite and intelligent boy who manages to 'acquire' a very interesting pet. The story is silly and the boy's efforts to make his new pet comfortable reminded us of Mr. Popper's Penguins. I loved how formal and polite the boy and his father are, and I love how the story emphasizes how completely absorbed his dad is in his own studies and oblivious to the boy's actions.

The ending of the story is very hilarious, and we had to reread the tale to see the obvious giveaways that I would never have noticed if our youngest hadn't pointed them out (I think she'd read the book already and knew the ending.) We really liked the illustrations and we recognized David Small style from some of the other books that he's illustrated.

The humor was very dry; I thought perhaps the author was British, but from the book jacket, it seems that she is not. Overall, I thought this was a very entertaining book and we really enjoyed reading it together.

[Dex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. David Small is one of my favorite illustrators. But by page 11, the animals rights issues overshadowed everything else for me. Penguins are one of the most social birds there are, and family structure is very important (see And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson). When Elliot takes a small penguin from the penguin exhibit, he is likely breaking up a family unit (and I won't even go into the penguins in captivity thing). Sorry, I was not able to suspend my disbelief. The last time I criticized a book in the name of animal advocacy, I was attacked on this site. Whatev. P.S. I'm pretty sure you can't freeze water by dialing the ac down to its coldest setting.

[Agnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

One Cool Friend is a picturebook about a very proper young man, Elliot, who got himself a very (in)appropriate pet, a penguin, and did very inappropriate things, like ice skating in the bedroom (or stealing from the aquarium, for that matter).

Just to be clear, I don't support the ownership of exotic pets; however, if I look at the story as pure fantasy, I do find it hilariously silly with a satisfying twist at the end.

David Small's pen and ink, ink wash, watercolor, and colored pencil illustrations fit the story perfectly. They are cartoonish, sketchy, and quite spare both in color and lines but also manage to be quite detailed at the same time.

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elliot is not your typical kid, he's very proper. Perhaps, so proper that his father doesn't notice that he brings home a real penguin from their outing to the aquarium. Elliot and his penguin, Magellan, become friends and it turns out Elliot's father has a special friend of his own too.

Fun story, illustrations are both proper and silly to compliment the text.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is, imo, indeed worthy of the Caldecott Honor. Not only are the illustrations and design delightful, taking on a large share of the story-telling, but both text and art are funny in complementary ways. If you liked this, don't forget to read Mr. Popper's Penguins.

[Bailey Hauge · Rating 5 out of 5]

My opinion is I really, really liked this book. The book was about a penguin named Magellan and his friend Elliott. The main idea was Elliott getting a penguin friend. My favorite part was when Elliott made his wading pool into a skating rink in his bedroom. And his dad didn't even know!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The very proper Elliot falls in love while on a visit to the aquarium. While his father reads his National Geographic, Elliot avoids the crowds of noisy kids at the other exhibits and revels in the appearance and antics of the penguins. When he politely asks if he can have a penguin, his father assumes that he wants a stuffed one, and provides the cash for it. Once Elliot and the kidnapped penguin he names Magellan have arrived home, Elliot does his best to make things comfortable for his new friend. In many ways, this delightful title reminds me of one my all-time favorites, Mr. Popper's Penguins from 1938, but it has such a sly kick to it that it has its own appeal. The insider references to Magellan and Captain Cook will remind many teachers and school children of the typical research projects assigned in middle grades. The illustrations, created with pen and ink, ink wash, watercolor, and colored pencil, are extraordinary. I love the pink flush on Elliot's cheeks and the stand-off between Magellan and Ms. Stanbridge, the librarian, who has likely seen sights much stranger than a penguin in the library. Reading this book was great fun!

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I might give this another try. However, on first reading, it just irritated me. The boy is just so darn polite I can't see kids relating to him at all. One person commented that the kid should have realized Dad meant a stuffed toy. I disagree. I think Dad should have realized his kid meant the real penguin. He doesn't know his kid well enough to guess what was meant? He is also just too obtuse to be believed. He just happened to never notice all these weird things happening after the kid steals the penguin? He never asked to see the toy he just shelled money out for? Dad was so irritating to me! So was the kid. If he is so stuffily polite, why doesn't he realize that probably a skating rink in the house may not be popular with the residents (no idea if there is a Mom or siblings, one guesses not). Or having the a/c on the highest setting? I never got a clear feeling of ending. Did the boy get to keep his penguin? Probably but the resolution needs to be guessed at which I think is asking a bit of preschoolers. Finally, I do enjoy David Small's art but I didn't think it worked in this book. On second thought, unless someone convinces me to give this another try, I probably won't.

[Jammie Mays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awe. This short story will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions. At first I was upset with the father for not paying attention to his son. He offered to take him to the aquarium and then didn’t partake in any of the activities with him. It made me think about a time when I was left alone and had high hopes of doing something fun with my parent. But as the story progressed I soon forgot about the father and focused on the antics of the little boy. I thought he was very smart to make all of those accommodations for the penguin. I really connected with him when he went to the library and began to do research about penguins. That also reminded me of when I asked my mom for a dog and she said I would first have to learn more about dog and then research information about care and cleaning because she didn’t know anything about them. I would definitely re-read this story and then recommend it to EVERYONE! I also liked how the author used only primary colors to fill in the pictures. It made me really focus in on what the person with color was doing and then look at the surrounding details and scenery.

[Jordan Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

How many of you have a pet at home? If you just raised your hand, tell me where you got that pet. So most of us got our pets from a pet store, a shelter, or a friend who raises animals to sell. In the story that we are going to read today, the character gets his pet from a different place then all of us. (hold up the book) The title is One Cool Friend. Where do you think the boy got his friend at? (take answers) Well, we will have to read to find out if our predictions are correct.
When we have a pet, what do we have to do for that pet? Yes, so we have to take care of it and feed it and make sure all of its needs are met. What do you think we would need to do for a penguin to meet its needs? Let's read to see what the boy has to do for his pet in the book.

For this opening, I used personal connection with the text and personal experiences related to the topic by asking them where they got their pet and what we do to take care of them. This sets them up for what the book is about and how Elliot gets his penguin and how he takes care of it.
I also had the students predict where Elliot was going to get his pet, and what he was going to do to take care of it.

[Sarah W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elliot is a very proper boy. When his father proposes a trip to the aquarium, Elliot politely accepts the invitation while he would rather avoid the noisy mob of kids sure to be there. With his father distracted by a copy of National Geographic, Elliot slips away to the penguin exhibit. There he discovers one Ferdinand Magellan.

Elliot asks his father for a penguin and is given twenty dollars for a toy. Elliot, however, has other plans. He squeezes Ferdinand into his backpack and takes the well-dressed bird home. From adjusting the air conditioning to buying bags of ice, Elliot works on making his new pet comfortable at Elliot's home while hiding the bird's presence from his father.

The slim use of color in David Small's sketches accent the aquarium and Elliot's eccentric home. I enjoyed the use of speech bubbles with the dialogue in this story of father and son. The twist at the end made me laugh.

This galley was received from the publisher at the AASL convention.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 1 out of 5]

Continuing the quest to read all Caldecott medal and honor books, as with the Newbery award winning books, some are wonderful, others lack luster.

One Cool Friend is a story of a very proper young man who take a trip to the aquarium with his equally straight laced father. Asking his father for a penguin, he is given money for a stuffed animal. Dumping all materials from his book bag, Elliot kidnaps a small penguin. Attracted to the penguins because they are dressed in proper attire, like Elliot, he brings the critter home.

The father doesn't realize the penguin is in his house until the end of the book when he shares his large turtle friend.

The illustrations were ok, the story upsetting. A father takes his son on a trip and then pulls out a book to read. The experience of the occasion is not shared. When the penguin is discovered, the absent minded, the "proper" father does not chastise his "proper" son for theft.

[MaryannP · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book won the Caldecott award for its cartoon images. The pages are full of cartoon images, text boxes, and 3D art. The images look like they are illustrated with a pencil making them very simplistic but outstanding. The book is black and white with very little color. What is in color stands out because that is whats being accentuated. The illustrator used space very well so the eyes go up and down. He also used the space well to organize the text and speech bubbles making some large to show action and stand out to the reader.

This book reminds me a lot of Mr. Popper's Penguins. I would read this book aloud prior to reading Mr. Popper's Penguins because they go together. The main character goes to an aquarium with his dad and brings home the smallest alive penguin. The boy hides the penguin in his room and his dad doesn't find out that there is a live penguin in the house until the end of the story. Read to find out how the dad reacts!

[Arinn Wall · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is about a very proper little boy named Elliot who finds his dream pet and friend at the aquarium: a penguin. He asks his father for the penguin, but the father is too busy reading to realize Elliot means a real penguin, not a stuffed animal. Elliot takes the penguin home and cares for him for a few days without his dad ever noticing. The dad eventually discovers the penguin, and the book ends with him revealing his own pet tortoise.
Personally, I didn't care for the illustrations or story of this book. I did like the similarities between the characters and their pets: the father is reserved like a turtle, and Elliot is proper like a tuxedo penguin.
I would use this book when talking about pets in class. The kids can talk about their dream pets and research the environments in which they live in the wild.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is child-centered fiction. The adults don't get in the way (Dad, Librarian--and where was aquarium security? Quietly never pictured.), and Elliot moves forward assuming they won't--even though I was worried the entire time about when he would be found out. "Wild surprise ending"? No, a calm vindication of the story arc. This ending provided not only resolution to my worry, but also deconstructed it--a pleasant ending! And never a worry about there being a 'lesson' to be taught. Hmmm. I would love to see a moral at the end of this story!

The crayon line drawings were the distinctive style choice to complement ink drawings (reminiscent of Hilary Knight)--at their best when suggesting 'aquarium'.

[Camille · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book club I'm in read all the Caldecott and some of the Newberry winners for this year and this was one of them.
I don't think this book is awful, I just didn't like it. I don't see how a majority of kids would actually get the ending, so I think it should really be for maybe 4th or 5th graders, but they think they're too cool for picture books, so how's that going to happen.
I read this to a pre-school audience and it didn't work, so I ended up fast forwarding to the end. But if you're really brave, I would think it would group kinda okay with 11 Science Experiments That Failed by Offil and/or The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this picture book. It is so different from other picture books that I have read, and I have read many! It even had a surprise ending that I didn't see coming. Afterward, I flipped back through and saw the ending forshadowed in many of the illustrations. So clever! Elliot is such a fun, unique boy. The only thing I had trouble with was Elliot just taking a penguin from the aquarium, but I will suspend my disbelief and trepedation and take this one as it is meant to be, as a fun, imaginative, charming story. My daughter loved the illustrations too...just a great picture book.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Elliott and his father go to the aquarium, Elliot asks his father if he can get a penguin. His father, looking at a sign that advertises stuffed animals penguins for $19.95, gives Elliott $20 and says sure. Elliott selects the smallest (live) penguin and takes him home. Elliott does research about Magellan (his penguin) and does his best to care for a penguin. Throughout the story, the father seems completely unaware that there is a penguin in their home.... or is he? This story is very humorous.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elliott is not your ordinary boy, but then again, neither is his father. When the father and son duo travel to the aquarium for some "quality time," they both get more than they bargained for. But in the end, father and son seem to have many, many traits in common.

The story was okay, but I have to say that I liked how the speech bubbles were included in the text. This would make a great mentor text for younger readers for that element alone.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SUCH an adorable story! A very polite young boy, Elliott, goes to the zoo and comes home with a new penguin friend. Of course, with a penguin living in a person's home, hilarity ensues.

I listened to this story with a class full of first-graders, and they loved it just as much as I loved it. We were all giggling at the same parts and surprised by the same parts. It's a cute story for young ones, and ones young at heart.

[KevinL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one COOL story. When Elliot went to the aquarium with his dad no one expected him to bring home a proper friend from the southern tip of Argentina. Elliots dad hought he was only bringing home a stuffed animal penguin not the real thing.This story goes through the friendship of Elliot and his pet penguin at the expense of his dad. The best part is the curve ball at the end! This would be a great story for students to learn how to be a good friend

[Luann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this - especially the ending! As always, David Small's illustrations are interesting and have great details. I laughed at the father's turtle pajamas. When I reread this, I noticed all sorts of turtle details! Too fun!