A review by backonthealex
A Day for Skating by Sarah Sullivan

4.0

Told in a brief, playful rhyme, this book has quickly become a favorite with my young readers, none of whom, ironically, have ever skated, but want to try it someday. In this story, a young girl and family head out to the frozen pond for a day of skating and family time. The young girl in a novice skater and when she falls, her dad gently reassures her that it's is part of the learning process. There are lots of other skaters on the ice, with varying degrees of skill, and everyone is having a good time. The family takes a break in the snack bar hut to eat and warm up, then it's back out on the ice - no falls this time. As the day comes to a close, the tired family heads home to a warm bath and a bedtime story. The watercolor and color pencil digital illustrations capture the cold day perfectly, especially the passing of time in the changing color of the sky, and the movement of the skaters. The skaters are a very diverse group, including kids of color, a girl in a hijab, and father wearing a yarmulka, and even a girl playing ice hockey. The ending is a pleasing picture of the forest animals taking their turn on the ice, so of whom you may notice watching the kids during the day as they had fun. I used to love ice skating and personally found this to be a really delightful family story.