I Want Ice Cream!

Someone's definitely screaming for ice cream in this illustrated tale of disappointment, resistance, and acceptance.

When a young boy is denied an ice cream cone by his dad, the disappointment he feels is extreme. What begins is a cycle of emotions expressed through color. From sadness (blue), to envy of others with cones of their own (green), to anger (red), and more, his progression through a range of feelings / tactics is both humorous and cathartic to readers experiencing both his pain and the excessiveness of his reaction.

Meanwhile, his father's consistent response of a simple "No" serves as its own model of effectiveness in the face of tantrum. The art uses sparse, thick-lined images in black and white paired with a full range of colors, each associated with an emotional response. The simplicity of both the art and text combine to open the door to future referencing and resolving similar real-life situations that stem from hearing the word "No."

Elisabetta Pica was born in Milan in 1960. She works as educator and teaches theater to people from ages 2 to 99. She travels all over Italy to promote reading among children through her plays and picture book readings. Elisabetta is the author of The White Book (with Lorenzo Clerici and Silvia Borando), originally published by the Italian publishing house minibombo and translated into English by Candlewick Press. Her books have been sold to China, France, Spain, and many other countries.

Silvia Borando was born in 1986. She earned her degree in Communication Design at the Polytechnic University of Milan in 2008. As a children's picture book author and illustrator, she founded the Italian publishing house minibombo in 2013, dedicated to little children and the grown-ups who read along with them. Her books have been translated into many languages and sold all around the world.