Ice Cream Work
This playfully delicious picture book makes everyday objects come to life as the story follows Ice Cream Man. As he goes from job to job, readers watch his quirky attempts to find a career suitable for an ice cream cone. Emphasizing the importance of imagination in daily life, this story reminds readers that everyone has unique traits that make them special.
Using shiny colorful sand, known as Sunae in Japan, Naoshi’s distinctive style is instantly memorable and utterly original. In this, her first book for American audiences, Naoshi introduces Sunae through the story, but also in a crafty “How to Make Sunae” section where she provides a step by step process of making “sand paintings” like the ones seen in the book.
There is also an interactive “Look and Find” page which challenges readers to spot details they might not have noticed before. Ice Cream Work will delight readers young and old while introducing an exciting new talent to American audiences.
Winner - Gold Medal - PubWest Book Design Awards
40 pages | ISBN-13 978-0983491736 | Illustrated picture book | 42 color images
What people are saying about this book
“As adults, we tend to consume. . . . But in Ice Cream Work Naoshi invites you to participate in the art. That’s where the true storytelling happens.” - Tofugu
“The sort of book that could easily capture the imagination of kids drawn to the culinary fantasylands of Strawberry Shortcake or Candyland.” – Publisher’s Weekly
“[Ice Cream Work] exudes a loopy, anarchist joy: chronicling the adventures of a hardworking and stylish frozen dairy confection and his eclectically industrious week." – Dale E. Basye, author of the Heck, Where the Bad Kids Go series
Naoshi is a Los Angeles based artist from Japan. She uses colorful sand to create distinctive, surreal characters that inspire a whimsical perspective on life. Having participated in numerous art shows around the globe, her original style is easily recognizable. In her effort to familiarize more people with Sunae outside of Japan, she has participated in a wide range of projects, commercial work, and children’s workshops. Ice Cream Work was developed from a drawing she made when she was seven years old called “Ice Cream Walked.” This is her first book.
