the First Ones on the Ice

A story that could not be more quintessentially Canadian, the First Ones on the Ice by Lana Button and Alex MacAskill is a story about skating on the pond.

Siblings in rural Canada are so excited to be the first ones on the ice.  They put on their boots and grab the shovels and clear off a glistening patch of ice. They quickly tie their skates and get to be the first ones out there, beating the rush. It’s the perfect day out on the ice.

Lana Button’s lovely story about an activity that many Canadians will be very familiar with is a perfect read for cold winter days. This story made me feel so nostalgic for the days out at my cousin’s house, on the lake, where we would skate for hours and hours in the winter time. Nowadays, the lakes don’t freeze consistently around where I love so skating on freshly clear ice is not as common for readers in my part of Canada but is certainly still familiar to many across the country.

This feels like a story that will bring people together. It’s a story for adult readers to reminisce about the times they couldn’t wait to be the first on the ice and for new readers now to talk about their own skating experiences.

The illustrations by Alex MacAskill, so reflective of a cold winter day with the muted blue tones with whites, greys and browns, are inviting and soft. I love all of the wide eyed faces, joyfully spending a day outdoors, doing something they love.