Two white men, both “dreamers,” mine the treasures of Walden Pond. Henry David Thoreau, a nature lover, aspires to live simply and record in writing his observations of the pond and its wildlife. Frederic Tudor, a man in debt, sees a business opportunity in Walden Pond. From his one-room cabin, Thoreau watches as Tudor arrives with men, horses, and equipment and begins to harvest a thick layer of ice from the frozen pond. Written in poems and divided into sections according to season, the narrative describes the ice’s temporary storage (“blanketed in sawdust and hay” next to the pond), lengthy sea voyage to India, and eventual consumption by the wealthy white inhabitants of Calcutta. Even after it has left Walden Pond, the ice continues to inspire Thoreau’s diary entries; he imagines it “mingled with / the sacred water / of the Ganges.” Soft illustrations evoke the pond’s natural beauty and provide fascinating glimpses into ice harvesting and storage.   (Ages 7-9)

From the award-winning author of Before She Was Harriet comes another work of lyrical beauty, the story of Henry David Thoreau and businessman Frederic Tudor—and a changing world.

Thoreau and Tudor could not have been more different from each other. Yet both shared the bounties of Walden Pond and would change the course of history through their writings and innovations.

This study in opposites contrasts the austere philosopher with the consummate capitalist (whose innovations would change commercial ice harvesting and home refrigerators) to show how two seemingly conflicting American legacies could be built side by side.

Oddball/ tax dodger/ nature lover/ dreamer/ That’s what they called/ Thoreau.
Bankrupt/ disgrace/ good for nothing/ dreamer/ That’s what they called/ Tudor.

Celebrated author Lesa Cline-Ransome takes her magnificent talent for research and detail to plumb the depths of these two history-makers. The graceful text is paired with Ashley Benham-Yazdani’s period accurate watercolor and pencil artwork. In winter, readers see Tudor’s men sawing through the ice, the workhorses dragging the ice, and Thoreau observing it all; in spring, summer, and fall, the ice continues its journey across the globe with Thoreau and Tudor writing and reflecting in their respective diaries.

An Author’s Note, which explores how Thoreau’s writings influenced such figures as Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Frost, and Mohandas Gandhi, is included.