I wish that all those years ago, sitting in Dr. “I'm delighted by that shiny silver sticker each time I sign a copy of the book. She was breathless when she won the Caldecott and Maine awards, “They were Cinderella moments.” We asked about the thrill of seeing the silver Caldecott Honor Book sticker on her book. And yes, we headed down to The Salty Dog for dinner and drinks with friends on the coast in Sarasota where we winter.” She said when the announcement was made, “I got hundreds of messages from everyone I know in the library and children's book worlds. We asked Toni about her experience of having her book named a Caldecott Honor Book. It was a long line, but we prevailed! Our autographed copy is now a treasured item in our special Juvenile Historic Collection. We recently caught up with Toni at the American Library Association conference where she and David were autographing copies of the book. It also won the 2013 Maine Literary Award for Children’s Books.

“One Cool Friend” is a New York Times bestseller and has been nominated for many other awards. Frozen anchovy pizzas, Goldfish crackers, and a mini ice rink go unnoticed by Elliot’s father who thinks his son is playing with a toy penguin! His adorable pictures are a perfect complement to Toni’s humorous story about Elliot and the penguin he takes home after a visit to an aquarium. Being selected is a major recognition for the artist, author, and book!ĭavid Small is the illustrator of Toni’s book. One title is selected to receive the Caldecott Medal, and one or more others are denoted as Caldecott Honor Books. UM-Dearborn alumna Toni Buzzeo’s new book, “One Cool Friend,” was recently named a 2013 Caldecott Honor Book, a huge honor and achievement! Each year, the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, honors the work of illustrators by selecting the most distinguished American picture books for children.

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo