John Coy

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Embrace the cold with this engaging children's book about a father and son who practice science experiments using household objects outside on a snowy day!

When the temperature drops far below freezing, many people plan to stay warm and cozy inside. But when it’s “so cold” that everyday things behave in unusual ways, it is worth the effort to get outside and play! In this vibrantly illustrated children's story, a boy and his father dress in layer show more after layer before braving the cold, and the youngster declares: “Call me Freezeman!”

Together the two experiment: What happens when boiling water is flung into the air? Or when maple syrup is poured on clean snow? The night before they left a banana outside: now it’s frozen solid. Can they can use it like a hammer? A helium balloon that floats inside the house changes dramatically in the freezing air.

These and other discoveries await explorers bold enough to venture out on a bright and chilly day. Back inside at the end of the day, no wonder Freezeman declares: “so cold is so fun!” This playful narrative by John Coy celebrates curiosity and exploration, while Chris Park’s brilliant artwork illuminates a winter landscape that is anything but bleak. An author’s note explains the science behind the various experiments, leaving just one question: with all these amazing activities to undertake with your favorite adult when it’s “so cold,” why would anyone prefer to stay inside?

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Cold! Glorious cold! Delicious, delightful absence of humidity, sweat, blasting battering sunshine that inescapably sears your skin in a human version of the Maillard Reaction. I'm pink like a pig, it's true, but I don't want to be treated like articulated chops! Heat rots, literally; cold preserves. You don't go to the stove to get last week's groceries...unless you're a fly larva, anyway.

So when your kidlet, nibling, or grand shows signs of hibernation to escape winter's gorgeous gift of escape from the horror that is heat, present them with this adorable little exploration of the reason for, and fun of, the cold. show less

I love a lot of things about this book. The big thing is how real and true it is -- the photographs and the simple text give it such wide appeal. I don't know what percentage of people are descendants of immigrants who moved to another country for a better life, but I'd guess it's high, especially in the United States. So for most people, something in this book will ring true. It's powerful and important to share with young people.

I also like that this book is positive without being too RAH show more RAH U.S.A. WE'RE #1! The United States is not a perfect land of opportunity and plenty (the photographs do a good job of telling that part of the story) but it's a relatively prosperous and peaceful place to grow up. This book is much more about being grateful to your parents and grandparents than being grateful to America. And that's how it should be. show less

This multi-racial story and poem has the unifying thread of we all come from the same stardust and from single cells, from there are stories are linked by migration stories - places and beings. Each migration story is unique but similar in the themes of coming from somewhere and someone. The vibrant illustrations reinforce the words and can help to demystify the story for younger children, adults can take in the artwork and enjoy the colors and talent.

I appreciated the authors did not shy show more away from talking about race in a multifold way, including talking about slavery and calling it out: "White people called my ancestors "slaves," and Native boarding schools: "I come from ... ancestors forced to learn English at boarding schools." Addressing it in children's books is how we grow our racial fluency and to face our realities.

I can see teachers or artists using this book as a jumping-off point for activities related to identity.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a bound paper copy of this book. I have a feeling the pages will pop with vibrancy.

Previewed an e-copy with NetGalley show less

A wonderful and lighthearted journey of father and son as they take a night trip driving to the mountains to go camping. The illustrations express beautifully the muted night and all of its wonders while driving at night. I can can relate and remember driving cross country with my father and stopping for late night early morning breakfast at the vintage diners, ordering pigs in a blanket. Many a child will be able to relate to this tale of father and son and the bestowing of traditional show more values in America. I believe this particular book is written with a Midwestern mindset and Americana, as where else can you stop the car on a straightaway with open prairies abound and stare at the moonlight. Either way, the expressive muted night illustrations of the moon, hills, diner, and mountains gives an almost surreal picture of a child's rural midwestern upbringing, but not any taste of suburban, or urban life. show less