One Cool Friend

PreS-Gr 2—Elliot, a tuxedo-clad boy who prefers avoiding "masses of noisy kids," reluctantly agrees to join his father at the aquarium's Family Fun Day. However, the day's silver lining is found in black and white—penguins, to be exact. Elliot decides they would make a perfect pet, so he pilfers one. Comical antics follow (an inflatable swimming pool lugged up to Elliot's bedroom becomes an ice rink; sharing a snack of goldfish crackers; raiding the freezer for shrimp), all taking place under the watchful eye of his seemingly befuddled father. This read-aloud set is the perfect combination of a cleverly written and very creatively illustrated book (Dial, 2012) accompanied by a two-track CD, one with page-turning signals and one without. The British-accented narration provided by Robertson Dean, David deVries, and Owen Tanzer is spot-on. This whimsical tale of a boy and his pet is sure to become a favorite, and the twist ending is guaranteed to make kids and adults smile.—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH