It's just another summer day until Teddy visits the new ice cream shop in town. Magically, he enters a kingdom of ice cream fountains, whipped cream lanes, and volcanoes that erupt with vanilla fudge! In this land of frosty treats, Teddy rules as the Ice Cream King. He can eat as much ice cream as he'd like, sail an ice cream sea, and even zoom to an ice cream moon. But something very important is missing. What could it be? Dig into this delicious adventure that serves up a gentle lesson in sharing!

Lexile: AD490

A little boy loves ice cream more than anything else in the world...or does he? One hot July day, the sight of a "BRAND NEW ICE CREAM SHOP!" stops Teddy Jones dead in his tracks. He convinces his wilting mom to check it out; when the server places a gold paper crown on Teddy's head, his imagination runs wild (and Downing's illustrations go from black-and-white with a hint of pale pink to bright color). As the newly crowned "Ice Cream King," Teddy imagines giant treats all around him. "I slip and slide down Whipped Cream Lane, / then climb up Ice Cream Mountain." On a silver sailboat, he tastes more scrumptious sweets, nuts and cherries and the eruptions of a vanilla fudge volcano. He's the only judge for today's Ice Cream Festival, but he suddenly realizes that there's something missing: "I'M ALL ALONE!" His life would be much better if he had someone to share it with. Instantly, Teddy is transported back to the new ice cream shop (and black-and-white illustrations). He places his elaborate order, gleefully asking for two spoons. Metzger's rhyming text is crisp and accessible, and his message all the more effective for its deft delivery. Downing's apt, simple pictures properly enhance the tale. Guilt-free deliciousness. 

 

February 15, 2011, Kirkus Reviews

Accompanied by his agreeable mom, Teddy Jones believes that his dreams have come true when he enters Thrill Chill ice cream shop. He takes power in the message that he can choose anything he wants and assumes the self-proclaimed role of the Ice Cream King. Immediately, his castle shines with delectable varieties of the creamy treat, and his surroundings reflect his sweet tooth’s wildest cravings. Airy, cheerful spreads convey each tasty delight as Teddy slides down Whipped Cream Lane and fishes for nuts and cherries in a sailboat on an ice cream sea. The energetic narrative abruptly changes focus when the child realizes there is no one to share in his riches. Bouncy rhyming text clips along as Teddy’s imaginative world builds. “I blast off in my spaceship/up to the ice cream moon./I zoom past ice cream meteors./I’m glad I have my spoon!” Changing emotions are reflected through shifting hues as the soft colors on lots of white space in the opening pages transform into full spreads of vibrant color. The original colors return as Teddy’s life becomes a welcome reality once again. The message may be one-dimensional, but this feel-good journey maintains its sweetness, without being saccharine.–Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NC

 

May 2011, School Library Journal