A seasonal story that quietly yet thrillingly evokes nature’s wild winter beauty follows a girl and her younger brother, who venture out early one morning to skate on a remote frozen bay on Lake Superior. They begin the day in the blue light of dawn and the warm glow of the woodstove, eating oatmeal before bundling up and heading out. As they walk through the woods they observe the breath of the lake—sea smoke far from shore. “Beneath our boots snow creaks and crunches … we can trace the journey of fox and white-tailed deer, follow the trail of snowshoe hare, mink and otter …” Once they reach the shore, they put on their skates and glide, their blades “hissing and swishing” while the lake sings: “Her voice vibrates beneath our feet, distant thunder cracking and rumbling …” The “music” of nature is a repeated refrain throughout this lyrical narrative set against gorgeous digital and mixed-media art. (Ages 4-8)

Let’s go! Experience the magic of skating on wild ice.

Two children wake up to hear the lake singing, then the wind begins wailing ... or is it a wolf? They bundle up and venture out into the cold, carrying their skates. On the snow-covered shore, they spot tracks made by fox, deer, hare, mink, otter ... and the wolf! In the bay, the ice is thick and smooth. They lace up their skates, step onto the ice, stroking and gliding, and the great lake sings again.

In her signature poetic style, Jean E. Pendziwol describes the exhilarating experience of skating on the wild ice of Lake Superior, including the haunting singing that occurs as the ice expands and contracts. Accompanied by Todd Stewart’s breathtaking illustrations, this book will make us all long to skate wild!

Key Text Features

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.