Ice Cycle

“Readers who think ice in nature comes only in sheets, floating chunks, or icicles are in for an eye-opening experience as, in naturalistic vignettes and vistas, Chen depicts silky strands of hair ice around twigs and needle-thin spikes emerging from frozen ground; … A rewarding exploration of a common substance’s complex nature.”—Kirkus

“Eleven poems encapsulate the life cycle of ice, with digitally rendered illustrations detailing ice’s myriad forms in a crisp, cool palette. The first poem, “Ice Is Born,” highlights the crystalline shapes that are its building blocks. Each receives its own labeled inset, reminiscent of science texts, and it’s a brilliant blending of the imaginative and factual. … Rich back matter includes an explanation of water in its three forms, user-friendly definitions, and a link to an online experiment for ice spikes. VERDICT: A supplementary purchase to ­invigorate the A in STEAM.” –School Library Journal

“Strong verbs and onomatopoeia punctuate the active nature of ice, as in “Ice Plays” (“Brincles sink, Plume and bloom. Pancake ice stacks / Smack and crack.”), while textured digital illustrations in a fitting range of blues emphasize ice’s shapes and depth. Extensive back matter fills in gaps with lengthier scientific explanations and specialized glossaries covering terms related to ice formations, sea ice, and ice on land. A decidedly cool collection for STEM.”–Booklist