Synopses & Reviews
and#8220;This is a joyful, spirited gem of a book, as bracing and glorious as a perfect stretch of ice.and#8221; and#8211;Newbery Honor author Joyce Sidman
With the first iceand#8212;a skim on a sheep pail so thin it breaks when touchedand#8212;one familyand#8217;s winter begins in earnest. Next comes ice like panes of glass. And eventually, skating ice! Take a literary skate over field ice and streambed, through sleeping orchards and beyond. The first ice, the second ice, the third ice . . . perfect ice . . . the last ice . . . Twelve kinds of ice are carved into twenty nostalgic vignettes, illustrated in elegantly scratched detail by the award-winning Barbara McClintock.
Review
Fun, love and respect permeate this volume, a reminder of the riches implicit in simpler holiday joys.
Review
The language is lovely, and Azarian's trademark woodcuts, hand-tinted with color, are as endearing as ever. Warm and welcoming.
Review
At Helenand#8217;s home, there are no telephones or electric lights. Cars have not yet been invented, so she and her sister and brothers must walk a mile to school, even in freezing weather. Without refrigeration, they must harvest ice from the pond.
But at night she and her family gather around the woodstove to hear stories of castles and princes in hiding. They take horse-drawn sleigh rides, snug under buffalo robes and wool blankets; skate in the moonlight; and on Christmas morning have real maple syrup for breakfast.
With absorbing details of country life and elegant, hand-colored woodcuts, this book captures the strength of family, the magic of Christmas, and the love of place all year long.Fun, love and respect permeate this volume, a reminder of the riches implicit in simpler holiday joys.
Publishers Weekly, Starred
Azarian's beautifully composed and carefully researched illustrations draw the reader into Helen's era, into a quieter time of candlelight, sleigh bells, and family stories shared around the woodstove.
Kirkus Reviews, Starred
Best suited for reading aloud, this gorgeous book might inspire grown-ups to share their own family stories with the children in their care.
School Library Journal
The language is lovely, and Azarian's trademark woodcuts, hand-tinted with color, are as endearing as ever. Warm and welcoming.
Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Review
Fun, love and respect permeate this volume, a reminder of the riches implicit in simpler holiday joys.
Publishers Weekly, Starred
Azarian's beautifully composed and carefully researched illustrations draw the reader into Helen's era, into a quieter time of candlelight, sleigh bells, and family stories shared around the woodstove.
Kirkus Reviews, Starred
Best suited for reading aloud, this gorgeous book might inspire grown-ups to share their own family stories with the children in their care.
School Library Journal
The language is lovely, and Azarian's trademark woodcuts, hand-tinted with color, are as endearing as ever. Warm and welcoming.
Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Review
- A Junior Library Guild Selection
- A Winter 2012-13 Kids' Indie Next List Pick
- Kirkus Best Children's Books of 2012
- Booklist's Editors' Choice list for 2012
- NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2012
and#8220;[A] perfect snowflake of a book. . . this is a book about a young womanand#8217;s deep connection to nature and her family, but also the thrilling reward of pitching in together to create something magicaland#8221;
and#8212;New York Times Book Review
and#8220;Snug and elegant, evocative and fun, Ellen Bryan Obed's memoir from her childhood winters in Maine skates along in an aesthetic pas de deux, as you might say, with Barbara McClintock's graceful black-and-white drawings.and#8221;
and#8212;The Wall Street Journal
"Evocative and at the same time marvelously real, this is as much about expectation and the warmth to be found in family and friends as it is about cold ice . . . Everyone will find this a small gem."
and#8212;Booklist, starred review
"Irresistible."
and#8212;Kirkus, starred review
"This is a celebration of play, of winter, and of imagination . . . in an icy collection whose overarching quality is warmth."
and#8212;Horn Book
"Like a souvenir from a bygone era . . . Today's readers will marvel at the old-fashioned amusements, chronicled with folksy charm."
and#8212;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Delicate pen-and-ink illustrations enhance the action, emotions, and humor of each short description of ice and frost goings-on. . . . [A] brief but unforgettable volume."
and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
"The rituals and humor connected with a timeless childhood experience unspool seemingly without effort from author and artist in this intimate volume."
and#8212;Shelf Awareness, starred review
and#8220;This is a joyful, spirited gem of a book, as bracing and glorious as a perfect stretch of ice.and#8221;
and#8212;Newbery Honor author Joyce Sidman
"A book like this one doesnand#8217;t come along every day. Would that they did.and#8221;
and#8212;Betsy Bird, Fuse#8 blogger
"Obed's prose is crystalline: clear, pure, and entrancing. But the real subject of the book is not ice, but happiness; a happiness so contagious that readers of all ages will close the book with a sigh."
and#8212;Laura Amy Schlitz, Newbery Medal winner of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
"Ellen Bryan Obed's prose transported me to my own childhood of all kinds of ice-some very dirty and bad, others grand and ethereal-nevertheless, all full of adventure, reminding me, too, of the great joy of winter. The beauty of Obed's prose is matched perfectly by McClintock's art. Who else could make a chilly subject look so warm? It is a marvelous book."
and#8212;Chris Raschka, Caldecott Medal Winner of The Hello, Goodbye Window
"Twelve Kinds of Ice is a wonderful book. Ellen Bryan Obed's storytelling voice is magical, and with Barbara McClintock's delightful and evocative art the book creates an atmosphere as sharp and fresh as the winters of childhood and as satisfying as our happiest memories."
and#8212;Reeve Lindbergh, author of Our Nest
Synopsis
At Helenand#8217;s home, there are no telephones or electric lights. Cars have not yet been invented, so she and her sister and brothers must walk a mile to school, even in freezing weather. Without refrigeration, they must harvest ice from the pond.
But at night she and her family gather around the woodstove to hear stories of castles and princes in hiding. They take horse-drawn sleigh rides, snug under buffalo robes and wool blankets; skate in the moonlight; and on Christmas morning have real maple syrup for breakfast.
With absorbing details of country life and elegant, hand-colored woodcuts, this book captures the strength of family, the magic of Christmas, and the love of place all year long.
Synopsis
Award-winning illustrator Barbara McClintock renders Ellen Obedand#8217;s timeless text in a wintery scape for young readers. Warm icy hands on this fine winter read.
About the Author
Ellen Bryan Obed grew up on a six-acre farm in Waterville, Maine, where she and her siblings waited for the first ice as most children wait for summer or Christmas or a birthday.andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; Ellen now lives with her husband in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. There they experience many kinds of ice coming each winter to area streams, lakes, and ponds, and to the nearby Piscataquis River.
Award-winning illustrator Barbara McClintock's art has enhanced many children's stories with fanciful costumes and incredible charming details. She is the author and illustrator of several books for children, including The Fantastic Drawings of Danielle, The Battle of Luke and Longnose, and Dahlia. She lives in Connecticut.