The Ice Children

By Author / Illustrator

M. G. Leonard, Penny Neville-Lee

Genre

Fairy Tales & Folk Tales

Age range(s)

Publisher

Pan Macmillan

ISBN

9781035014217

Format

Hardback

Published

02-11-2023

Synopsis

The Ice Children is an exciting, modern, magical mystery adventure inspired by classic fairy tale 'The Snow Queen'. Snuggle into a cosy armchair and enjoy M. G. Leonard's story of a brave girl and her reindeer friend as they try to save her brother before time runs out. Gorgeous coloured endpapers, and black-and-white illustrations throughout by Penny Neville-Lee make this hardback a perfect Christmas treat for the whole family.

At the stroke of midnight on the dawn of December, five-year-old Finn Albedo is found frozen in the city park standing on a pedestal of ice. His heart is beating, he is smiling serenely, but no one can wake him. Finn's big sister, Bianca, suspects that the beautiful sparkling book Finn got from the library has something to do with it, but the book has vanished. Does the tall mysterious stranger who first discovered Finn know more than they will admit?

Each day, more children are found frozen and Bianca realizes she's running out of time. Her quest to discover the truth and rescue her little brother hurls her into a fantastical winter wonderland, full of beauty, danger and irresistible spirit animals, where all is not as it seems. Can Bianca save her brother and the other Ice Children before they are forever lost?

From the magic of snow angels to the thrills of snowball fights and ice skating, The Ice Children is a celebration of winter in all its forms by the author of Beetle Boy, Adventures on Trains and the Twitchers series. 'As unforgettable as Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" . . . a whirlingly imaginative storyline full of wonder and hope as well as warning.' - The Times

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Reviews

Strange things are happening. Children are being found like frozen statues in the park, more each day. Bianca's little brother, Finn, is one of the ice statues and she decides to try and solve the mystery and rescue him and the other ice children. But what she finds out is so amazing that the adults won't believe her, and she has to try and free Finn by herself, travelling to a magical winter wonderland, with time quickly running out.

The Ice Children is a version of The Snow Queen fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, brought bang up to date with climate change as a central theme. Bianca is a feisty heroine who will stop at nothing to rescue her little brother. The theme of love runs throughout the story. The illustrations and cover by Penny Neville-Lee are delightful - the cover alone, with its bright blue and silver etched snowflakes, made me want to pick it up to read. There is a wintery and also Christmas theme to the book and whilst there is a strong message in the story, it is never preachy in any way. This is a lovely story for this time of year, full of intriguing characters and fantasy.

288 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher