Ice Cream Summer, written and illustrated by Peter Sis. While telling this yummy tale (which will make you want to run right out to your local ice cream parlor after you finish reading it) about an ice cream-obsessed boy, the fantastic Mr. Sis throws in some fun math lessons and a witty timeline history of the delicious cold snack. The joy begins when you remove the cover and see yet another one of his fantastic illustrations. One of the artist's trademark circular drawings greets you, facing the title page. The story begins with Joe, wearing a backwards red cap, fluffy white dog (also an ice cream fan it seems, judging from the strawberry cone in its paw) by his side, answering a letter from his Grandpa. The lad's elder instructs Joe to tell him what he has learned this summer. There is a fun interplay between the text and illustration as the boy responds. For example, when Joe says he has conquered "big words like tornado and explosion," you see him standing in an ice cream shoppe choosing between flavors like cherry tornado and mango explosion. And when he says he's learning math, we see boy and dog learning addition and subtraction using ice cream scoops. Lessons about maps and history follow, and Sis wittily throws in many visual and historical references to ice cream. My favorite pun of the year so far happens towards the end: "As you can see Grandpa, I've been working all summer (though I always take a break on sundaes)." Accompanying this passage is Joe sleeping comfortably on an ice cream sundae. A perfect summertime treat.
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