ONE COOL FRIEND

Who IS the cool friend? Father, son, penguin, or tortoise? Toni Buzzeo’s fantasy is brought to life by a dynamic trio of narrators—one as understated storyteller, one as professorial dad, and one as the ever polite and independent Elliot, the son whose mannerisms and looks are much like that of the penguin he acquires on an aquarium outing with his preoccupied father. Just as the narration is enhanced by the varied voices of the narrators, the story is enhanced by the illustrations of Caldecott-winning illustrator David Small. The humor is heightened by the details included in each vignette, and Dad’s exasperated roar of “ELLIOT!” is the perfect lead-in to the conclusion. Listeners young and old will treasure this read-along. A.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2014]