"As the sun sets, the massive ice sculptures sparkly with multicoloured lights.
It's like being inside a kaleidoscope."
Sometimes a memory or a fragment of a memory can be the impetus for a moving personal story. This book is based on the author's own childhood memory of visiting the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in China. Angie Cui writes her story in both English and simplified Chinese.
The character I liked most in this story is the grandfather - he is brave enough to go on a 500 metre slide but not so sure about riding on the Ferris wheel. I also loved the way he shared delicious sweet treats with his granddaughter and her cousin. There is a joy also in this story where we witness the shared experience of a child with their grandfather and the special memories they are creating.
The 210-meter-high Snowflake Ferries Wheel is absolutely another crowd favorites. A 20-minute ride treats you to breathtaking panoramic views of the entire Ice and Snow World in winter—especially spectacular at sunset and night. In summer, you'll be greeted by the lush, green wetlands lining both sides of the Songhua River.
You can see the giant Ferris Wheel in this photo:
I learnt a few new food names in this book: Madieer ice cream; and tanghulu (candied hawthorns, grapes, strawberries or pineapple).
Tanghulu are candied fruits popular in China as street food that combine the natural beauty of fresh fruit with a sweet sugar coating. It is carried by a bamboo stick or skewer. You can find it everywhere on the street, especially on cold winter days near the Chinese New Year. Typically Tanghuluis are made with hawthorn berries, which is a hard and sour fruit, but you can make Tanghulu with other favorite fruits.
This book could also be a jumping off point if you are talking about China - the story mentions The Great Wall and the Forbidden City and of course you will want to find a map so you can locate Harbin in Northern China.
Anna Wilson is sure to have enjoyed exploring the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. There are so many fabulous photos you can search for showing the ice sculptures and the lights.
The Harbin Ice and Snow World is the largest ice and snow theme park in the world, officially certified by Guinness World Records. ... The park features over 2,000 ice and snow sculptures that blend cultural heritage with immersive tech-light effects, surpassing the monotonous displays found in most other countries. ... the Harbin Ice and Snow World has opened for 27 consecutive years. Each year, it builds delicate ice and snow sculptures under different themes. Visitors can marvel at the dazzling night views illuminated by colorful lights, participate in winter sports, snow shows, and other unique activities. To ensure a cozy and comfortable experience even in the bone-chilling cold, heated rest areas and warm food halls are readily available across the park. Source
This is a new book which will be released tomorrow. Thank you to UQP for my advance copy. Here are the teachers notes for The Festival of Ice and Snow (but I do suggest you and your young reading companion or class or library group plan to read and enjoy this book before you share some of the teaching idea ideas which analyse the page designs, word choices and illustrations).
You will recognise the name Angie Cui from her book My Mum is a Bird. It was a CBCA 2026 Notable title but I am sorry to say it is a book that just didn't resonate with me.
I previously talked about these books illustrated by Anna Wilson. I thought she was from the UK but now I discover she lives in Castlemaine, Victoria:
And I have these books on my 'to read' list for a long time:
If the idea of visiting an ice and snow theme park interests you (it most certainly interests me!) I found this table comparing the Harbin event with others from around the world:
