Little Cliff, an African American boy is raised by his grandparents in the deep South in the 1950’s and finds himself intrigued by the frigid cold of the Arctic during primary school instruction. Childlike verbiage and traditional watercolor illustrations create a storyline rooted in support and love for Little Cliff as he explores the unfamiliar concepts of “The Cold Place.” ( )

Little Cliff, the main character in Little Cliff and the Cold Place - a children’s story written in 3rd person, learns about the Arctic in his first-grade classroom. Prior to this knowledge, he did not realize there was a land so far away and different than his home in Mississippi. Little Cliff is determined to go to the Arctic, but his Poppa Joe explains how it is too far. With the help of Poppa Joe and his friends, they are able to create an understanding and show Little Cliff the arctic through imagery and nostalgic storytelling without leaving Mississippi.

Charming story about little boy and patriarchal figures taking time to share stories from the past about Alaska. Read it slowly and drink in the rich illustrations.

Appropriate for Grades PreK-3rd ( )

Clifton L. Taulbert returns to the world of his childhood in this, his third autobiographical picture-book - the first two being Little Cliff and the Porch People and Little Cliff's First Day of School - focusing on an incident involving his desire to visit the Arctic, after a particularly vivid geography lesson in school. Convinced that his Poppa Joe will be able to drive him to this strange land, where the children wear furs, and live in houses made of ice, Little Cliff instead learns a little bit about distance, the scale of maps, and - when he and Poppa Joe visit his great-grandfather's friend, Mr. Jacob Goldstein - about traveling to far places. But the best is yet to come, as Poppa Joe sets up a little "fishing trip" in a very cold locale!

As with the first two Little Cliff books, I enjoyed the depiction of family love and warmth to be found in Little Cliff and the Cold Place, as well as the sense of community. This title is the first of the three in which we see someone outside the tight-knit African-American world of Glen Allan, Mississippi - in this case, Jewish Mr. Goldstein, depicted wearing a yarmulke, in E.B. Lewis' illustrations. Given recent tensions between the wider African-American and Jewish communities here in the USA, I was particularly happy to see this depiction of friendship - an important reminder of the reality of a few decades ago. I also appreciated the evident loving care Little Cliff's Mama Pearl and Poppa Joe take of him, trying, to the best of their ability, to ensure that he has the experiences he wants and needs. All in all, this was just a heartwarming family tale, and is highly recommended to all! ( )