First ice, second ice, and third ice formed in the pails in the sheep barn: A thin skin that broke easily into shards, then a round window, and finally an impenetrable block. Then there was field ice, marking the first opportunity to don skates and glide along stream ice. There was also black ice and garden ice, and Bryan Gardens, the rink they built in the yard. Eventually, there is last ice, followed only by dream ice. Ellen Bryan Obed recalls the warmth of childhood winters full of families and friends, skating and nature’s gifts in this lyrical catalog of twelve kinds of ice that will resonate with any child today who loves the coldest season. Barbara McClintock’s delicate, detailed black-and-white illustrations in pen and ink are a perfect accompaniment to Obed’s writing, evoking the same sense of nostalgia and lively appreciation for having fun. (Ages 5–10)

“This is a joyful, spirited gem of a book, as bracing and glorious as a perfect stretch of ice.” –Newbery Honor author Joyce Sidman

With the first ice—a skim on a sheep pail so thin it breaks when touched—one family’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.