Cool Ali [Hardcover]

Nancy Poydar (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

On a hot summer day in the city, Ali decides to draw refreshing scenes on her sidewalk that amazingly come to life, as a lake becomes real, an umbrella provides shade, and a blizzard cools off the whole block, making Ali a real hero to all her neighbors.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It hasn't rained in weeks, and the city block where Ali lives is mighty hot. While neighbors mop their brows and babies fuss, resourceful Ali beats the heat by drawing. With colored chalk, she creates a blue lake around Mrs. Frye's folding chair, a beach umbrella on the wall to shade her friend Ira, a polar bear on the sidewalk and white specks of snow all around. Her creativity does the trick, and the gathering crowds are "thrilled to be chilled to the bone." As an extra bonus, actual rain begins to fall, and though Ali feels disappointed when her artwork washes away, her neighbors' gratitude for her "cool" distraction more than compensates for her loss. Though occasionally sketchy and unfinished-looking, the busy illustrations offer kids ample diversion as they figure out what's real and what's not. A cool pick for summer reading. Ages 4-7.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?As her neighbors relax outside their apartment building, Ali helps them beat the intense summer heat by drawing refreshing scenes in chalk: grass and flowers, a lake, a beach umbrella, the North Wind, a polar bear, and even a snow storm. Her sidewalk pictures create such pleasure that at first no one notices the rain. Ali's creations are washed away, but her friends hail her as a heroine. The text, which exudes an air of coziness as friendly as the building's multiethnic inhabitants, comes full circle with Ali drawing once again. This time she's indoors, and her subject is the sun. Poydar's cartoon illustrations, executed in watercolor, oil pastels, and colored pencils, depict several generations. The stoop and sidewalk, awash in shades of brown that suggest desert heat, are transformed into cool blues once the downpour begins. The neighbors move from lethargic stillness to whimsical play to joyful splashing in the rain. Pair this book with Stephanie Calmenson's Hotter Than a Hot Dog! (Little, 1994) for a refreshing story hour on a hot day.?Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community-Technical College, CT
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry; 1st edition (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689807554
• ISBN-13: 978-0689807558
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #608,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Colorful & imaginitive, October 20, 2005

By 

Ali Crehan Feeney (Quincy, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cool Ali (Hardcover)

I will totally admit it - I grabbed this book after seeing the title. (My name is Ali, and it's so rare to see it spelled properly) But what a fortuitous grab! This is a delightful book, and my almost-three-year-old is utterly enchanted by Ali's drawings and their effects on a steamy hot city neighborhood. I highly recommend this one!

4.0 out of 5 stars Cool Ali, January 22, 2003

By 

NORMA (Lake Helen, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cool Ali (Hardcover)

I enjoy reading books to my eight year old. I also like to get or see the expressions on her face. This book is an easy reader for her and she enjoys fantasy stories. She like to make up her own.

I recommend this book to parents who like to read to their kids/kids that are in second grade and are on the Book It Club.

This book made her talk about it to her teacher and classmates and gave them ideas for a school project.