Wackadoo Picture Books Part 2: Eclectic Bookaloo

One Cool Friend, by Toni Buzzeo and David Small
Since I was small, trips to the aquarium have always included my attempts to abscond with a penguin. So far, no luck. Elliot (the book’s protagonist), on the other hand, manages not only to do so, but to get his seemingly distracted dad to aid and abet him (albeit unwittingly). And maybe that’s where I went wrong in my penguin quest. Hey, Dad! Wanna go to the aquarium? Why? No reason.

The Cow That Laid an Egg, by Andy Cutbill and Russell Ayto
Poor Marjorie. Understandably, she feels unexceptional compared to the other cows (who do handstands and ride bicycles). When the chickens get involved, however, Marjorie goes from garden-variety bovine to mo(o)ther of the year.

Guji Guji, by Zhiyuan Chen
It’s not like I’m saying being a crocodile raised by ducks is weird. I don’t think the makeup of anyone’s particular family is anyone else’s business. Still, something about this sweet tale of self-discovery strikes me as wonderfully wackadoo, whatever that thing might be.

The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy, by Beatrice Alemagna
In full disclosure, I was drawn to this book because I live with a wonderful, fluffy, little girl we call Squyshy, and also because the title tells you almost nothing about the contents of the book. Free-range five-year-old Eddie (Edith) doggedly romps all over her neighborhood looking for the perfect birthday gift for her mom. Somehow, despite her criteria (fluffy, little, squishy), she actually finds it! I plan to move to this neighborhood as soon as I determine where it is.

Mr. Wuffles!, by David Wiesner
Cats: Some people live with them. This book has one, and his name is Mr. Wuffles. More important, this nearly wordless book about tiny aliens teaming up with typical-sized bugs was the inspiration behind 2004’s Alien vs. Predator. But, as usual, when Hollywood starts with a great story, it undergoes lots of changes. This one went from a collaborative effort of insects and aliens fighting a cat to a really big alien bug and a really big alien fighting each other. Why they cut the cat, I’ll never understand.

I, Crocodile, by Fred Marcellino
So you think you know everything there is to know about Napoleon, do you? Well, you don’t. Perhaps you knew of the French campaign in Egypt and Syria, but I’m fairly certain this is the first time you’re learning about the crocodile he kept as a souvenir. This brilliant, droll memoir has it all: pyramids, paparazzi, the sewers of Paris…all lavishly illustrated with sublimely ridiculous artwork.

Boy and Bot, Ame Dyckman and Dan Yaccarino
Like most of us, best friends Boy and Bot met on the Internet. Oh, I mean in the forest. As they play together, they learn what makes one another tick, or turn off, and in the end, isn’t that what brings people closest together? This sweet, funny story has simple, effective prose, and the comic illustrations really tie it together.
Additionally, seek out illustrator Dan Yaccarino’s terrific An Octopus Followed Me Home for a great book about outrageous pets and a dad who finally has enough of his kid’s ever-expanding menagerie.