Think Cool Thoughts

by Elizabeth Goodwin Perry, Linda Bronson (Illustrator)

Seven-year-old Angel is suffering through the hottest day of her life—ever! Between the heat and the summer doldrums, her whole family is miserable. Then her mother and her aunt Lucy surprise her by suggesting they sleep out on the roof. Angel makes the most of this thrilling escape from the ordinary, and, best of all, morning brings the long-awaited relief. Fanciful, tender illustrations celebrate the everyday magic of a summer rain shower and the kind of shared moments that become a family’s lasting memories.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 27, 2005

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good story to read aloud on a hot summer night. It has interesting illustrations that are surrealistic at times and a narrative that is dreamlike.

It rambles here and there and has a lot of tactile descriptions that bring out the feeling of a hot summer. We enjoyed reading this book together.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dazzling story that totally captures the intolerable heat of summer in the city with no air conditioning. The illustrations leap out at you in a dizzying array of colors, with playful scenes full of improbable angles and delightful imaginings. I particularly liked the sumptuous, wet ice cubes, and droplets scattered in the scene as things melted in the heat. The many solutions to beating the heat were inspiring and energizing, and the little heroine seemed to actually grow up a bit during the telling of the story.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems this summer has been particularly hot all over the country. In this picture book, Angel, 7, is also suffering with the heat, unable to sleep at night, and not even after her mother tells her to think cool thoughts. In the morning, Angel’s mom and visiting Aunt Lucy start reminiscing about sleeping in the roof another summer when it was too hot, and sure enough, that night a mattress, sheets and pillows are carried upstairs and outside. That night, Angel slept on the roof between her mother and her aunt, and when she wakes, something’s different. Angel realizes she isn’t hot anymore, just as cooling raindrops begin to fall. After a scramble to get the bedding inside, Angel, mom, Aunt Lucy all return to the roof to simply let the welcome rain cool them down. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who actually did sleep on the roof of their building on a hot summer night, but I suppose it could happen, though beyond a fanciful picture book, I wouldn’t recommend it. And I did like this book. It is a nice family story about pulling together to solve a problem while creating tender memories. Linda Bronson acrylic and oil stylized illustrations are perfect for a story about hot nights in colors that go from hot reds to cool blues. A charming story for the dog days of summer.

[Jolynne Dougherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Female bonding- mothers and daughters, illustrations of people of color.
Aunt Lucy comes to stay with Angel and her mother during a heat wave. I enjoyed the descriptions in this book. We're currently in the middle of a polar vortex and I could feel myself sweating as I read it. Little Angel reminds me of myself as she sits and listens to the older ladies talk about growing up - could Mom and Aunt Lucy really have been 7 years old at one time? As she keeps quiet, she hears some wonderful stories. When they were young, they slept outside to get relief from a similar heat wave. What ensues is a wonderful adventure and tale of bonding.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me back to those hot summer days of long ago. While I did not grow up in the city, I could totally relate to Angel's experience. Running through the water, sitting in front of the fan while in shorts and shirt, and eating numerous Popsicles just to cool off... Hmm, those were the days. :-)

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

An odd little story. A lot of text for a picture book, but the illustrations are good.

[Ezekiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young black girl in the city named Angel is *SO HOT*. There's been a heat wave and the sheets stick to her every night. Think Cool Thoughts is about her relationship with her mother and aunt that summer as they decide to sleep out on the roof and reminisce about years past (while Angel listens on). The illustrations are smooth and round and seem to sway, conveying both the heat of a hot summer and how the view from childhood can be different from that of adulthood. The color is also beautiful, and rich. It was a pleasure to see such a positive relationship depicted (both between Angel's mother and her aunt, and those of her with her adult family members).

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hotter than hot in the city, Angel and her mom and aunt do their best to keep cool. Brightly colored illustrations cover the pages. A nice touch, on the back flap the author and illustrator share how they beat the heat in their home towns.

[Edward Creter · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a hot, hot night, a young black girl pretends the sky is full of ice cubes as she sits on the roof...and instantly rain falls and cools off. It's a "cool-aid" to a hot summer day for kids of all ages and colors. Cos thinking cool thoughts is what life's all about.