Ice Boy
by David Ezra Stein (Author) David Ezra Stein (Illustrator)
An ice cube in search of adventure stars in a comical (and very cool) tale of transformation from Caldecott Honoree David Ezra Stein. Ice Boy has a normal life. He likes goofing around with his siblings ("Don't lick your brother!"). He listens when his parents tell him that being chosen to cool someone's drink or be a cold compress is the best thing that can happen to an ice cube. But Ice Boy wants more.
So even though his parents tell him never to go outside, and even though his doctor tells him never to go in the sun, Ice Boy decides to head for the beach, where he rolls right into the water ("Best day ever!"). But suddenly his edges begin to blur. . . . From the creator of the best-selling Interrupting Chicken comes an offbeat and funny story of daring to venture into the unknown, whatever form it may take.
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Publishers Weekly
Stein's intrepid ice cube hero wants more from life than a tenuous existence in a freezer and a destiny of being "chosen"--his fatalist family's euphemism for becoming part of someone's drink or cold compress. Ignoring everything Ice Boy has been told ("Never go outside. Never ever go outside"), he makes his way to the ocean and discovers that rather than dissolving into nonexistence, a wide world of adventures awaits: first as "Water Boy," then as "Vapor Boy," and then again as a pellet of summer hail. His return to a solid state brings about a reunion with his parents, who are stoically chilling a patio drink; using his newfound knowledge and confidence, Ice Boy rallies them to join him on a new water cycle adventure. Stein (Tad and Dad) renders his funny mixed-media paintings in bright blues and stormy grays, and peppers them with quippy dialogue balloons ("Am I dense, or did I just become a liquid again?"), proving that science can be empowering on many levels and that "you do you" can contain multitudes. Ages 3-7. Agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)
Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2--Ice Boy lives in the freezer with his ice cube community and family. With plenty of dark humor, the story's narrator sets up the main conflict: "Once in a while, someone was taken. Usually for a person's drink. To be chosen was the best thing that could happen to an ice cube. At least that's what Ice Boy's parents said." Ice Boy refuses to surrender passively to this unknown fate and instead decides to make his own way. He ignores all warnings, leaves the freezer, and travels to a sunny beach. From here Ice Boy embarks on a wild and dramatic journey through the water cycle. High-energy linework throughout the pale, icy colors of the spot art and full-page spreads create a fast pace and plenty of exaggerated humor that works well with the comical text. Speech bubbles in the art bring more personality to the characters and help to distinguish Ice Boy within the stages of the cycle as he shifts to Water Boy ("Aaah! Tastes salty!") and Vapor Boy ("Look what I did!") until a storm turns him into a piece of hail and he is Ice Boy again. Coming full circle, Ice Boy falls from the sky right into a drink, where his parents are bobbing about. The drink is tossed out on the ground, and while the ice family wonder what adventures await, budding scientists will likely have some ideas. VERDICT Funny and entertaining, this book starring an independent ice cube is a truly enjoyable tour through the water cycle that offers insights into the dynamics of life in the freezer.--Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
—Story Monsters Ink Stein's offbeat, animated story makes lively work of the water cycle with cartoonish, doodlelike illustrations of the adventurous ice cube set against aqueous backgrounds, and speech balloons from Ice Boy and his friends add humorous running commentary. A comical caper with a stealthy dose of basic science concepts.
—Booklist Stein's joyful, varied mixed-media illustrations will bring smiles to young readers' faces...Ice Boy knows how to enjoy what life has to offer, from a dip in the ocean to a tickly ride on a waterspout. Young readers are often taught about the water cycle; this droll story will be fine addition to a classroom library
—The Horn Book Readers will be drawn into the transition from Ice Boy to Water Boy to Vapor Boy, and will gleefully anticipate his next predicament. The illustrations maintain Ice Boy's spunky character, even as he evolves and changes forms. With a direct link to science curriculum, this title will provide students with a narrative of how the water cycle unfolds and comes full circle.
—School Library Connection
JUV051000 - Juvenile Fiction | Imagination & Play
JUV029020 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | Weather
Beaches
Ice
