Iceberg by Claire Saxby illustrated by Jess Racklyeft

Antarctica is a fascinating place but it is also a place very few of us will ever visit. If you do visit Antarctica you will only be there for a very short time and only see a fragment of this huge continent. People do work at the various stations in Antarctica but only a small number of people will ever experience a whole year in the coldest, windiest, driest place on earth.

Every word in Iceberg is liquid gold. The text is informed by facts but expressed using a carefully constructed lyrical text. Referencing the seasons as a way to mark time is perfect in the context of an iceberg in Antarctica. The colours beautifully reflect the icy environment and a sense of wonder is created by the see-through transparent layers of water which allow the reader to see the mysteries beneath the ocean. 

This book has been carefully designed. The front cover has a stark image of an iceberg but closer inspection reveals the different animals that call this place home. The end papers actually look cold and contrast beautifully with the exuberant colours found on the fold out page later in the book. The text and illustrations in this book beautifully complement each other. There are tiny touches of humour in the faces of the sea creatures and this adds a lightness to the story. This book will stand the test of time, the sense of place is very strong and the text will give young readers a rich reading experience.

Publisher blurb (click this link to find very comprehensive teachers notes): In the final freeze of an Antarctic winter, green tails wave across a star-full sky, as if to farewell endless nights. If this world looks empty, look closer ... Penguins trek across the ice to their winter homes. As the temperature warms, birds fly above on their long migrations. And with the advent of summer, beneath an iceberg, the sea is teeming with life. Ocean, sky, snow and ice - minute greens and giant blues - dance a delicate dance in this evocative portrayal of the life cycle of an iceberg.

In 2017 Claire Saxby wrote a poem for our NSW School Magazine (Touchdown issue #1 February 2017).  I was luckily able to obtain a copy. Claire mentioned this in an interview with Joy Lawn for her blog Paperbark Words. Claire talks about this process here. 

Here is part of the poem:

In a blue Antarctic dawn

an iceberg calves - 

shears from a glacier

and is released to the sea

sharp and angular

it hoards ancient weather

layers of ice clothing

a coat for each year volcanoes blew

and black ash fell like snow

Iceberg was the 2022 Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year winner but because it was entered for the CBCA Picture Book of the Year I haven't been able to talk about it until now.  Book Week and the announcement of the CBCA Award winners for 2022 happened last month. As a CBCA judge I had to wait to share these books until the judging was completed.

Here are the judges comments:

The writing is sophisticated; facts and technical vocabulary are lyrically combined with beautiful description. The sentences are perfectly balanced, and verbs are used precisely to describe the vivid life of this icy place. The choice of artistic medium offers a perfect complement to the text; the illustrations are subtle at times and commanding at others. The use of many shades of blue beautifully reflects this icy environment and immerses readers in the Antarctic. A sense of wonder is created through transparent layers of water allowing readers to spot life above and the mysteries below the surface.

Awards:

• Adelaide Festival Award for Literature shortlist 2022
• CBCA Notable Picture Book of the Year 2022
• CBCA Notable Eve Pownall Award
• CBCA Shortlist Picture Book of the Year 2022
• CBCA Picture Book of the Year 2022 Winner

In this video shared on Facebook Jess Racklyeft talks about her research and processes in creating the art for this book. 

Here in Australia, by now, most children in Primary schools are sure to have heard (hopefully someone read the book in a library or classrooom) and/or seen (Storybox Library) this book but I know people from other places in the world read my blog so I do hope you can find Iceberg in your local library, school or book store. Here is the website for Jess Racklyeft and for Claire Saxby.

Her text is both narrative and non-fiction, effortlessly creating a wonderful reading experience for teachers, librarians or parents while also providing an educational, fact-learning feast for children in kindergarten to middle primary. Reading Time

Saxby’s text is sophisticated, poetic and accessible all at once and Racklyeft’s illustrations are multi-layered and luminescent; ‘Iceberg’ is text and images in perfect harmony ... Children's Books Daily

Here is the US cove which is slightly different - I wonder why they added a subtitle?

Here are some craft works inspired by this book:

Le Page Primary School Victoria

Booragul Public School, NSW

Here are some books you could use to compare the way illustrators depict Antarctica:

Other books by Claire Saxby: