Ice Cream Summer

March 16, 2015
Sís, whose multilayered The Pilot and the Little Prince and The Tree of Life show a boundless curiosity, turns his research attention to a sweeter subject: ice cream. In this appealing book, watercolored in sherbet hues of raspberry and tangerine, a grandson writes a letter to his grandfather. The boy reports having “a delicious summer,” and promises, “I read every day.” An illustration reveals his literary inspirations—including “big words like tornado and explosion”—on an ice-cream shop’s list of flavors. The boy keeps up with math (“If each scoop costs 50¢ and I have $2.00”), studies cartography by mapping cocoa and pistachio landmarks, and learns about history: his fanciful timeline reveals that Marco Polo introduced China’s frozen confection to Italy and that the waffle cone was invented at the 1904 World’s Fair. “I always take a break on sundaes,” the boy admits. At the conclusion, the grandson and grandfather meet and scale a cone-shaped “Ice Cream Peak.” Such a vanilla conclusion could use a cherry on top, but even so, Sís gives summer dreamers the scoop on a cool treat. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from March 1, 2015
In ice cream colors, Sis delivers an encomium to summer, to the power of learning, and to that beloved, creamy-cold treat. A little boy, his red baseball cap on backward as is proper, gets a letter from his grandpa and writes back telling him all the things he is doing for the summer. He is learning new words and creating his own book. He is making maps and researching history. He is even practicing equations. The pictures, however, expand the story in most delicious ways. He is learning new words from the ice cream stand: "mango explosion" and "cherry tornado"! Maps include features named "blueberry hill" and "ice land." History includes Marco Polo bringing recipes from China to Italy and President James Madison serving ice cream (with strawberries from Dolley Madison's garden). In every one of the exquisitely detailed images, ice cream appears in many guises: waves on the beach are scoop-shaped, and sandcastles have cone turrets; the bases on a ball field are ice cream sandwiches; even Lady Liberty holds a cone aloft in place of her torch. The type-usually just one sentence-is in a different flavor on each page, and the endpapers are a blue sea of cones and ice cream bars. Oh, yum. (author's note, further reading) (Picture book. 4-10)

Starred review from May 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-In response to a letter from his Grandpa, Joe is happy to convince his grandfather that he deserves a special trip planned for later in the summer. He is definitely not forgetting about his schoolwork. Joe is reading, writing a book, solving word problems, studying history, and even learning cartography. What he doesn't mention is that he is learning all of this through his fascination with ice cream. Joe eats it and draws it, builds it and dreams it, and even knows the ins and outs of how it came to be. When Joe finds out where they are going on their special trip, it is the cherry on top of a fantastic summer. This book is fabulous for teachers introducing a unit on letter writing or research skills. The facts about how ice cream was invented are interesting and presented in a cartoonlike manner that children will find entertaining. Sis's illustrations are done in a beautiful rainbow of watercolor, making readers feel the warmth of summer and the cool delight associated with this delicious treat. Children will love finding all of the ways that ice cream is incorporated into each picture. VERDICT A great choice as a tool for teaching or simply as an enjoyable read.-Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015
Preschool-G A young boy answers a letter from his grandfather, detailing his summer studies in anticipation of a special trip at summer's end. But somehow everything in the boy's letter is suffused with ice cream! He tells of his math work, and we see him starting with 10 scoops and losing 3. He practices cartography, and we see a map built of flavorful ingredients. He studies world history, and we see the advent of ice cream, traced from China, through Italy, across Europe, and over to America. And all of this endeavor is perfect preparation for the pair's journey to climb Ice Cream Peak. Sis' imaginative interpretations feature bright blocks of imagery with simple, symmetrical composition laid above spare, multicolor text. Watercolor washes in sweet jewel tones illuminate the boy's account, offering lots of surreptitious information among the details. This delectable amalgam of historical record and confectionery celebration is both a delight for the eyes and an inspiration for the tummy. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Sis is that all-too-rare combination: best-selling and award-winning. While we don't know if either of those fates await this one, we do expect demand for Ice Cream this summer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)