Author: Jory John
Illustrator: Pete Oswald
Target Ages: 6 and up
Genre: Fiction Picture Book
Summary: A bean who used to be part of a tight-knit group of friends finds himself on the outside looking in. As his old friends become the "Cool Beans," he feels uncool and forgotten. However, he soon learns that being "cool" has much less to do with sunglasses and swagger and much more to do with how you treat others.
First Lines: “Watch out! Here come the cool beans. The cool beans.”
Memorable Moment: “A poco a poco, I started to feel like one of them again. Not because I was wearing sunglasses... but because I was being kind. And they were being kind to me.”
Evaluation: In our culture, "coolness" is often equated with being aloof, stylish, or popular. Author Jory John brilliantly deconstructs this myth. He takes a character who feels "uncool"—a bean who is clumsy and self-conscious—and pits him against a trio of beans who seem to have it all.
The Cool Bean is a masterclass in empathy. The narrator isn't just "not cool"; he is lonely. He remembers when he and the cool beans were "a pod," and the pain of drifting apart is something that resonates with anyone who has ever transitioned to a new grade or school.
The turning point isn't a makeover or a change in personality. Instead, the "Cool Beans" perform small, quiet acts of kindness for the narrator when he is at his lowest. They help him when he drops his tray; they move over to give him a seat. Jory John shows that true "coolness" is actually warmth.
Little by little, the narrator realizes that he doesn't need to change who he is to belong. He just needs to be a "good bean." This story illustrates in a concrete manner how small gestures can change someone's entire world.
Illustrator Pete Oswald uses the "cool" aesthetic—sunglasses, leather jackets, and slicked-back hair—to create a visual contrast that eventually melts away as the characters connect. The watercolor textures make even the "coolest" beans feel approachable and soft, mirroring the book's heart.
I highly recommend The Cool Bean for any classroom or home. It’s a powerful tool for building a culture of kindness and shifting the social focus from "status" to "support."
Summary: A bean who used to be part of a tight-knit group of friends finds himself on the outside looking in. As his old friends become the "Cool Beans," he feels uncool and forgotten. However, he soon learns that being "cool" has much less to do with sunglasses and swagger and much more to do with how you treat others.
First Lines: “Watch out! Here come the cool beans. The cool beans.”
Memorable Moment: “A poco a poco, I started to feel like one of them again. Not because I was wearing sunglasses... but because I was being kind. And they were being kind to me.”
Evaluation: In our culture, "coolness" is often equated with being aloof, stylish, or popular. Author Jory John brilliantly deconstructs this myth. He takes a character who feels "uncool"—a bean who is clumsy and self-conscious—and pits him against a trio of beans who seem to have it all.
The Cool Bean is a masterclass in empathy. The narrator isn't just "not cool"; he is lonely. He remembers when he and the cool beans were "a pod," and the pain of drifting apart is something that resonates with anyone who has ever transitioned to a new grade or school.
The turning point isn't a makeover or a change in personality. Instead, the "Cool Beans" perform small, quiet acts of kindness for the narrator when he is at his lowest. They help him when he drops his tray; they move over to give him a seat. Jory John shows that true "coolness" is actually warmth.
Little by little, the narrator realizes that he doesn't need to change who he is to belong. He just needs to be a "good bean." This story illustrates in a concrete manner how small gestures can change someone's entire world.
Illustrator Pete Oswald uses the "cool" aesthetic—sunglasses, leather jackets, and slicked-back hair—to create a visual contrast that eventually melts away as the characters connect. The watercolor textures make even the "coolest" beans feel approachable and soft, mirroring the book's heart.
I highly recommend The Cool Bean for any classroom or home. It’s a powerful tool for building a culture of kindness and shifting the social focus from "status" to "support."
Now, Prove It! — Theme with Evidence
Students analyze key ideas, gather supporting quotes, and use structured sentence starters to explain how the evidence proves a theme. This resource helps readers practice moving from what happens in the story to what it means. Get your copy of Now, Prove It!: The Cool Bean.
Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:
Students analyze key ideas, gather supporting quotes, and use structured sentence starters to explain how the evidence proves a theme. This resource helps readers practice moving from what happens in the story to what it means. Get your copy of Now, Prove It!: The Cool Bean.
Activities and Extension Ideas for Lesson Plans:
- Art: Draw a "Cool Bean" and a "Kind Bean." Are they the same person? Decorate them with accessories that represent kindness (like an umbrella to keep someone dry or a hand to help someone up).
- Character Education: "Coolness" Brainstorm. List traits people think are cool (clothes, shoes) vs. traits that actually make a friend (honesty, kindness).
- Comparison: Compare how the narrator feels at the beginning (invisible) to the end (seen). What specific actions made that change happen?
- Creative Writing: Write a "Thank You" note from the narrator to one of the Cool Beans for a specific act of kindness mentioned in the book.
- Drama/Roleplay: Act out the "cafeteria scene." Practice what it looks like to "be cool" by helping someone who has made a mistake.
- Figurative Language: Discuss the pun "Cool Bean." What does it mean literally vs. figuratively?
- Symbolism: This book is ideal to use when teaching symbolism for all ages. Grab my Teaching Symbolism with Picture Book Activity.
- Theme: You can teach theme with The Cool Bean.
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