Glacier on the Move

by Elizabeth Rusch, Alice Brereton (Illustrator)

Overview

Meet Flo, a glacier, as she shows you what the life of a glacier is like in this picture book filled with fun facts, from what glaciers are and how they’re formed to what creatures live there, and more.

Glaciers exist on every continent on earth, growing, spreading, and shrinking over thousands of years. But what are they, and how are they formed? Glacier on the Move tells the story of a glacier named Flo and her slow-motion race to the sea, from the edge of an ice field and down steep cliffs, to muscling her way around mountains, and stretching into a valley. With the help of some iceworms in the margins, Flo reveals how glaciers move, change shape, and provide for the surrounding world and animals. Blending fascinating science facts with dynamic illustrations, Glacier on the Move introduces young readers to glacial history and science in a captivating and unique way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781513262307
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth Rusch is an author, editor, teacher, and speaker, and has published several award-winning books for children and adults. She channels her passion for science, history, art, and nature through her stories and hopes to share those interests with her readers. Elizabeth lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit her at elizabethrusch.com.

Alice Brereton is a children’s book illustrator and loves to incorporate colorful textures and shapes into her artwork. She grew up in Minneapolis, MN, and attended the Academy of Art University, where she has won many awards. Visit her at pickledalice.com.

Interviews

Living in the Pacific Northwest (in Oregon) and traveling to national parks and wilderness areas around the country, glaciers have become one of my favorite features of the outdoors. I have hiked up to glaciers, hiked on glaciers, skied up and down glaciers, and even slid down glaciers on my bottom and belly (yes, like a penguin!) These huge masses of ice, which gleam white and glow blue, seem at first glance to be permanent features of the landscape. But every year, I can see glaciers on Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, and other mountains growing and retreating. The glaciers themselves change shape with soft cornflower snow piling on top and cold, hard ice melting at the bottom. Wildflower meadows and alpine lakes fed by glacier waters are the most beautiful in the world.

So I love glaciers and I have marveled at them in wonder, but it wasn’t until I took a trip with my 13-year-old daughter to Alaska that I began to understand them. We were in Alaska doing research for another book about the Northern Lights (also with WM). The aurora is visible only at night so we explored Alaska – and especially glaciers — during the day.

The inspiration for the book came during a day-long glacier boat tour on the Prince William Sound. As we oogled at all the different kinds of glaciers, watched glaciers calve and learned about glacier processes from the park ranger on board, I started to hear a voice. It was the voice of a young glacier making funny comments about all the strange things that happen to her over time as she slowly moves and changes. I jotted lots of notes in a small notebook, which became the voice of the book. Flo was born!

Editorial Reviews

I never would have guessed that a glacier could take a starring role in a picture book, but this one pulls it off as slick as ice.“

The Children's Book Podcast Matthew C. Winner

Blending fascinating facts with dynamic illustrations, ‘Glacier on the Move’ is a wonderfully and entertainingly explanatory introduction for young readers ages 6-9 to glacial history and science.

Children's Bookwatch

2019-06-16
Flo, a talking glacier, narrates its journey to the ocean in this picture book.

Flo, whose voice is sociable and chirpy, is the perfect vehicle to inform readers about the hows and whys of glacial formation and movement in an accessible, often amusing way. The book's ingenuity doesn't stop there. Inhabiting the margins of the pages, as it would inhabit the interior of a glacier, the flat black silhouette of a knowledgeable ice worm gives succinct, clear facts about glaciers: "As snow piles on a glacier, the weight presses air out, compacting the snow into dense ice." The ice worm's facts are printed in a much smaller font than Flo's narration and seem designed for adults to interpret to young readers. The ice worm's facts are just enough to intrigue but not overwhelm readers, just as anthropomorphizing Flo connects readers empathetically. Illustrator Brereton's flat, stylized illustrations—some approaching abstract design—may not reinforce this connection, but what they do achieve is to give an impression of hardness and solidity (as befits a glacier); warm and cool colors are used to advantage to create the effect of changing seasons. Backmatter offers additional facts about glaciers, discusses climate change (a little proselytizing here about how readers can help), and, finally, since readers will be itching to know, explains what's the deal with ice worms (yes, they are real).

Thoroughly engaging and filled with intriguing facts. (further reading) (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews