Today (June 7th) is one of the greatest days on the calendar each summer - National Chocolate Ice Cream Day.  When you publish a book about a human/hybrid ice cream cone man, it’s important to embrace a day like this with gusto. We’re celebrating by focusing on three separate topics.

1. Three Questions for Naoshi - A Woman Who Finds Ispiration in Ice Cream!

We thought we’d start off by asking the author of Ice Cream Work, Naoshi, three questions about ice cream.

Muses take many forms. For Naoshi, ice cream serves as a flavorful jolt to her imagination. We wondered how frequently she indulges. How frequently does  ice cream need to be consumed for maximum creativity? Once a day? Once a month? Nope. Naoshi treats herself ice cream once a week!

We think the ice cream delivery device is as important as the ice cream itself. Naoshi agrees, telling us “I like ice cream in a cone!”

And last, we wanted to know her favorite flavor. There are lots of flavors highlighted in the book. But, she didn’t hesitate about her favorite at all. You guessed it - chocolate.

2. Taste test!

We feel it’s important to celebrate this tasty holiday IRL, so some members of the Overcup Press team headed to our favorite ice cream shop to sample as much chocolate ice cream as we could fit into our faces. While there was a short line at Ruby Jewel on Hawthorne Blvd. in Portland, Oregon, after a few minutes we were served a variety of delicious chocolate flavors.

Three chocolate flavors we loved:

• Double chocolate
• Mexican chocolate
• Double chocolate cheesecake

We encourage you set aside some time on June 7th (and every day!) to head to a local ice cream shop and do the same.

3. Some Facts About Ice Cream

The origins of ice cream are highly debated. It is a food shrouded in mystery. Bookworms as we are, we did a little research to demystify this much beloved frozen delicacy:"

Did you know…?

• 87% of Americans have ice cream in their freezer at any given time.
• Industrial production of ice cream begun in 1851 in Boston, United States.
• 90% of American households eat ice cream.

Want to dive into Naoshi’s Ice Cream Work - surreal tale that includes paintings created with sand, a look and find section, and a how-to on how to create your own sunae (sand art)? Visit our website for more info.