Earl's Too Cool for Me

Fresh from their collaborative success on Annie Bananie , Komaiko and Cornell bring humor and rhapsodized zaniness to this story of misconceptions that lead to friendship. ``Earl's got a hat with a real horse feather. / He wears socks made of chicken leather. / Earl's too cool for me,'' reports the narrator, who watches Earl's every act enviously. ``Earl floats a ship in his bubbly tub. / Earl taught an octopus how to scrub.'' But then: ``Yes, Earl's pretty funny and he's really nice. / He's eight years old and only thrown up twice! / We're as cool as cool can be.'' These jingles are dandy for reading aloud, and Cornell brings to this budding buddyship an inventive use of dress and hairstyles to convey ``cool'' status. Similar in concept to Because of Lozo Brown (see review above), this book has the superior text, very hip and bright, with a finger-snapping rhythm. Ages 5-8. (September)