Lyrical, poetic and truly evocative of the experience, Skating Wild on an Inland Sea by Jean E. Pendziwol and Todd Stewart will have readers wishing for those magical, sunny winter days.

Two children prepare for a skate. They pack their things and head off through the woods to get to the edge of Lake Superior, an inland sea. They are careful to navigate around the wildlife in order to get to their destination and experience the magic of skating wild and free on a freshly frozen lake.

For adult readers, this story will feel very nostalgic. For me it brought back memories of skating on the lake near my cousin’s house as kids. I say nostalgic because in many places where the ice used to freeze, it doesn’t any more due to our warming climate. Hopefully part of the beauty of this story is to remind the adults reading to the children about our experiences and ones that we wish we could enjoy with our children. I hope that this story inspires adults to take their children out to experience the freedom of being on the ice, even if it’s to their local outdoor rink. I believe that readers will be inspired to adventure. Whether it’s going for a skate or taking a walk through their community, this story will inspire them to drop the devices and head outside into the crisp winter air.

Jean E. Pendziwol takes readers step by step through the journey from the preparation, to the travel and finally the reward of the skate. Her poetic text reminds readers what it’s like on cold winter days and the anticipation of heading out for a fun activity on a winter’s day.

Readers can feel the temperature thanks to Todd Stewart’s screen printed illustrations. As the day wakes up the blue hued illustrations get pops of yellows, oranges and reds. You can see the children’s breath and then when they finally get out on the ice, there are surprises under the surface making for a book that readers will be instantly drawn within.