One Cool Friend

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo
Illustrated by David Small
Published by Dial Books for Young Readers
2012

     "Elliot was a very proper young man." He always wore a stylish black tux, bow-tie and all. His father took him to the aquarium, and while trying to avoid the mobs of kids at the other exhibits, Elliot reaches the penguin room.  And there they were, "in their tidy black feather tuxedos with their proper posture."  A perfect pet for a gentleman like Elliot.  When he asked his father for a penguin, he gave him money to buy what he thought was a stuffed animal penguin.  But Elliot packed a real penguin in his knapsack instead.  Elliot named his perfect new pet Magellan.  Now, a penguin is not easy to keep at home, especially when you're trying to keep it a secret.
     I loved One Cool Friend! Just like Elliot, I found it to be stylish and cool.  The illustrations by David Small are a perfect match with the story and I loved the way the text plays with dialogue bubbles as part of the regular text.  The final twist in the story totally sold it.  Great read aloud!

Penguin

Penguin by Polly Dunbar
Illustrated by Polly Dunbar
Published by Candlewick Press
2007

     Ben got a very special present: a penguin. He wanted to play and talk with him, but the penguin just stood there saying nothing. Ben tried everything to get a reaction from the penguin: funny faces, silly dances, tickles, wearing funny clothes and singing silly songs. But penguin said nothing.  Ben eventually got so frustrated he began to whine and scream. A lion was passing by and he got annoyed with all the noise so, as it often happens, he ate Ben (can't help thinking about Sendak's Pierre and his "I don't care").  And the penguin, well, this time he did do something.
     Penguin is delightful, funny and endearing.  The simple and clean illustrations by Polly Dunbar are wonderful, especially all the different facial expressions by Ben and the proportion contrast between Ben and the gigantic blue lion.  At the end, Penguin is a story about friendship; one that starts with a lot of "nothing" and ends with a hero penguin.  Great read aloud for the K-2 crowd and a fun bedtime story.