Six Flavors in One Book

The Ice Cream Machine is no ordinary tale. It’s six stories rolled into one flavorful book. All them have the same title, but each has a different plot revolving around ice cream.

One ice-cream story focuses on a boy and his robot in the distant future. Another is about a father and daughter who invent an ice-cream machine. My favorite story in the book centers on two sisters, Pam and Penelope, who try to enter an ice-cream–eating contest. The six stories are accompanied by black-and-white illustrations from six different artists.

The Ice Cream Machine is inventive and fun. Its author, Adam Rubin, has a lot of experience when it comes to writing about food. His most famous 
children’s book is Dragons Love Tacos. It was a No. 1 New York Times best-seller. “I like to write about food because it’s universally beloved by people of all different cultures,” Rubin says. “It’s something we can all relate to.”

Rubin hopes The Ice Cream Machine inspires kids to write. 
Its jacket turns into an envelope in which readers can send him their stories. Rubin says writers should write about things they like. “If you’re trying to write something that someone else likes, you might not get it right. Then no one’s happy,” he says. “But if you focus 
on writing about something that you like, then it’s fun. When it makes you happy, your writing will bring joy.”

I recommend The Ice Cream Machine to anyone who likes 
creative storytelling. The book goes down just like ice cream: smooth, enjoyable, and with a pleasant aftertaste.

As for Rubin’s favorite flavor of ice cream? “Chocolate chip,” he says. (Don’t tell him, but the best flavor is actually birthday cake!)