I Want Ice Cream! — Elisabetta Pica

Someone's definitely screaming for ice cream in this illustrated tale of disappointment, resistance, and acceptance.

When a young boy is denied an ice cream cone by his dad, the disappointment he feels is extreme. What begins is a cycle of emotions expressed through color. From sadness (blue), to envy of others with cones of their own (green), to anger (red), and more, his progression through a range of feelings / tactics is both humorous and cathartic to readers experiencing both his pain and the excessiveness of his reaction.

Meanwhile, his father's consistent response of a simple "No" serves as its own model of effectiveness in the face of tantrum. The art uses sparse, thick-lined images in black and white paired with a full range of colors, each associated with an emotional response. The simplicity of both the art and text combine to open the door to future referencing and resolving similar real-life situations that stem from hearing the word "No."