(2) K-3 Illustrated by Abhi Alwar. "Summer is for cousins. Mom and Dad, two uncles, two aunties, Thatha and Pati, seven cousins. All of us are together." This energetic family's summer vacation, with a full schedule of daily activities, encapsulates the inevitable combination of ritual and change that permeates life. In a first-person narrative, Ravi explains how his whole extended family descends on a house near an ocean and a lake. From there, the story launches into a flurry of sandcastle building, swimming, hiking, and more. Ravi is eager for a replay of all the summers before, but his beloved oldest cousin now seems more grown-up, and Ravi worries that their relationship may have changed too. This concern is punctuated by the frustration that he can no longer find their mutual favorite ice-cream flavor. The summer starts and ends with ice cream, the circular story arc highlighting that despite growth and change, the best parts of old rituals can become new ones with a little effort. Active compositions in the warm, textured art glow with golds and purples, making the joys of summer palpable. The figures of the family, sometimes together and sometimes dispersed around the pages, are full of movement. This story, with its irresistible atmosphere, shows how to realize and share the delights of the season.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(2) K-3 Translated by Noga Applebaum. Illustrated by Yael Albert. In 1944, Francesco Tirelli (a real person) hides Jews from the Nazis--many in his closed-for-the-season Budapest gelateria. While in hiding, teenaged Peter (Meir's father-in-law) creates a menorah using a chocolate mold and cooking oil. The illustrations' rosy tones give way to shadowy blues, allowing the menorah's light to stand out. The gentle, smoothly translated text doesn't offer many details but should work well as a discussion starter. A hopeful tale of kindness, resourcefulness, and comfort in traditions.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(3) 1-3 Ana & Andrew series. Illustrated by Sharon Sordo. In each of these short chapter books, siblings Ana and Andrew enjoy family and learn a bit about their history. With extended family, they visit the National Museum of African American History, celebrate Carnival, make snow cream, and visit their grandparents in Savannah, Georgia. The books feature breezy dialogue, text-supporting illustrations, and informative if not in-depth storytelling. Review covers these Ana & Andrew titles: Dancing at Carnival, A Day at the Museum, A Snowy Day, and Summer in Savannah

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) PS Illustrated by Bob Kolar. "I'm a little ice cream truck, / my driver's name is Lou. / Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, / we're headed to the zoo." Cuyler's fourth rhyming ode to a little truck (following The Little Fire Truck) has its predecessors' same snap and vim, plus a sweet treat at its center. A zoo, park, and neighborhood party--Kolar's super-chunky, eye-popping art turns them all into visual candy.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Kheiriyeh bases her entertaining, heartfelt story on memories of family outings to the beach. Narrator Rashin compares the (sex-segregated) beach in her birthplace of Iran to her new beach in Brooklyn; she especially misses her best friend and saffron ice cream. A sensory text evokes the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes experienced along the journey from each home to the beach. The textured oil and acrylic illustrations are bright and colorful, with context-setting touches.

Reviewer: Aishah Abdul-Musawwir | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Dan Santat. A platypus ("DUDE!") and a beaver ("DUDE!") hit the waves with their surfboards. When one spots a shark in the distance ("DUDE...?"), the surf buddies scramble for shore ("DUUUUUDE!"). "Dude" is a surprisingly malleable word, making it a good fit for a one-word (well, almost) yarn. The elastic facial expressions of the three main players in the colorful illustrations say everything the text can't.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) 4-6 Sprinkle Sundays series. After Allie's parents get divorced, her mom opens an ice cream shop, where Allie and her best friends, Sierra and Tamiko, work every Sunday (Sundaes). As this well-written series continues, Tamiko struggles under Allie's strict supervision (Cone), and Sierra temporarily turns the shop into a kitten café (Scoop). Different narrators give each book its unique perspective on handling change and navigating friendship and family. Review covers these Sprinkle Sundays titles: Cracks in the Cone, The Purr-fect Scoop, and Sunday Sundaes.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Sprinkle Sundays series. After Allie's parents get divorced, her mom opens an ice cream shop, where Allie and her best friends, Sierra and Tamiko, work every Sunday (Sundaes). As this well-written series continues, Tamiko struggles under Allie's strict supervision (Cone), and Sierra temporarily turns the shop into a kitten café (Scoop). Different narrators give each book its unique perspective on handling change and navigating friendship and family. Review covers these Sprinkle Sundays titles: Cracks in the Cone, The Purr-fect Scoop, and Sunday Sundaes.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) 4-6 Sprinkle Sundays series. After Allie's parents get divorced, her mom opens an ice cream shop, where Allie and her best friends, Sierra and Tamiko, work every Sunday (Sundaes). As this well-written series continues, Tamiko struggles under Allie's strict supervision (Cone), and Sierra temporarily turns the shop into a kitten café (Scoop). Different narrators give each book its unique perspective on handling change and navigating friendship and family. Review covers these Sprinkle Sundays titles: Cracks in the Cone, The Purr-fect Scoop, and Sunday Sundaes.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) YA Seventeen-year-old Amelia is "Head Girl" of a famous female-owned and -operated ice-cream stand. When the stand's elderly founder dies and leaves her college-aged grandnephew in charge, Amelia takes on new business responsibilities. This atmospheric summer romance is all about female leaders and entrepreneurship; an emphasis on the business's WWII-era origins provides a historical thread.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) 4-6 Orchard Novel series. Illustrated by Natalie Andrewson. Sarah and her lifelong BFF Lizzie try to earn enough money at the Garrison Family Orchard ice cream stand to host a zombie hayride. But will their friendship be ruined by the arrival of twins Olive and Peter? Set in a small New England town, this well-paced story has a sweet moral and notable diversity, including the biracial protagonist and the twins' two dads.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(3) K-3 How Is It Made? series. Close-up color photos spill across the gutter to illustrate each step in the creation of the titular items, from raw agricultural material (cotton and wool, cacao beans, milk, peanuts) to final product. Two or three simple sentences add very basic but level-appropriate explanation to each spread's picture; curious young readers may seek out more substantive information. A few additional facts are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers these How Is It Made? titles: How Is a Sweater Made?, How Is Chocolate Made?, How Is Ice Cream Made?, and How Is Peanut Butter Made?.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Who Made My Lunch? series. Illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman. In each book, a child prepares to eat something but first learns how the food is produced by being transported to various places involved. The second-person texts cover countries of origin, growing and harvesting conditions, and processing details. Simple, engaging illustrations featuring a diverse cast of kids will appeal to young readers. Reading list, websites. Glos. Review covers these Who Made My Lunch? titles: From Cocoa Beans to Chocolate, From Grapes to Jelly, From Milk to Cheese, From Milk to Ice Cream, From Peanuts to Peanut Butter, and From Wheat to Bread.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) PS Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld. Guitar-strumming and singing dog Groovy Joe is about to tuck into his ice cream when a dinosaur barges into his home with a spoon. Fortunately, Joe thinks "it's awesome to share!" The scene repeats with each of the next two uninvited dino guests. But when Joe runs out of ice cream... It's a good yarn, with catchy rhymes and bold, rough art that suits the unrefined cast.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Each of the ultra-competitive Cherry twins, who live in a world of talking food, wants to win the Super Sundae contest; that they are joined at the stem is an extra challenge. The unspectacular story is improved by puns (Girl Cherry has a "pit in her stomach") and the quirky mixed-media art; who knew that sculpted clay could make such delicious-looking treats?

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Christina Wald. As Kat and Gram Hatter clean up park trash, Kat also searches for coins to buy ice cream. During their "treasure hunt," Gram explains the value of different coins, and she folds paper hats for Kat to wear. This passable, mildly quirky intro to basic money concepts includes colorful illustrations of characters sporting unusual hats. Related facts and activities are appended.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) PS Illustrated by Nicola O'Byrne. At Sam's Sundaes, five hungry creatures order flavors like blue cheese (for mouse), fish finger (for cat), a cone full of worms (for chicken), etc. When Gorilla arrives and asks for plain old vanilla, his order ends up being big enough to share--and not as simple as he'd thought. The singsongy rhymed text is paired with colorful, cartoony illustrations--some delicious-looking.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(4) K-3 I Can Read Book series. Illustrated by Robert Eberz. Text by Laura Driscoll. Lovable, frazzled cat Splat is a good problem-solver, whether he is mopping up a giant ice cream disaster (I Scream) or saving the day with his preparedness on a Cat Scouts trip (Hotshot). Occasional internal rhymes within the simple texts will help new readers through the fairly slim stories. Energetic, humorous illustrations by Eberz (in Scotton's style) always steal the show. Review covers the following I Can Read Book titles: Splat the Cat: I Scream for Ice Cream and Splat the Cat and the Hotshot.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(2) K-3 Joe's brief letter to his grandfather details his "delicious" summer. Summery-hued illustrations and incorporated text reveal that Joe's activities (reading, writing, practicing math) each revolve around ice cream: e.g., when Joe reads about ancient China, the accompanying picture depicts how the first ice cream was made there two-thousand years ago. A picture-book treat that teaches some history behind this favorite dessert. Bib.

Reviewer: Megan Dowd Lambert | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2015

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Ethan Long. Stick Dog and his fellow-stray friends are hot dogs--it's a sweltering day. They set out in search of cooling relief, encountering a strange "water attacking machine" (sprinkler), then puzzle over an ice cream truck and its mysterious neither-solid-nor-liquid treat; an appropriately goofy heist ensues. Simple, comic black-and-white illustrations add to the trademark silliness Stick Dog's fans came for.

Reviewer: Pam Yosca