Spike and Cubby's Ice Cream Island Adventure

by Heather Sellers, Amy L. Young (Illustrator)

The great giant ice cream cone was visible across Torch Lake. In the distance, Ice Cream Island sparkled, so new and shiny, so beautiful and pink.

A dogs-at-sea adventure filled with turbulence, friendship, and plenty of ice cream!

Spike and Cubby are the best of friends. They are also a working dog Cubby is a writer with no time for interruptions, and Spike's an illustrator with a knack for distracting. But when the distraction is the amazing Ice Cream Island-specializing in Spumoni Baloney Grande-what dog can resist? This playful adventure proves that friendship can weather more than a bit of rough-and-tumble, and especially that a little distraction (and a yummy treat) can lead to inspiration.

Genres: Picture Books, Dogs, Adventure, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Heather Sellers has a PhD in English/Creative Writing from Florida State University. She’s a professor of English at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where she teaches poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction writing courses. She won an NEA grant for fiction and her first book of fiction, Georgia Under Water, was part of the Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers program.

Reviews

[Janet Bruins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spike and Cubby’s Ice Cream Island Adventure really is a super fun book. I read it with my daughter when she was around three, long before I got into publishing children’s picture books. This was the book that had it all for us: There’s the writer with writer’s block, the beloved yet incorrigible friend who tempts you away from your work, and gangster cats blocking the way of our protagonists. Despair! Then hope arises in the form of a sailboat—with the cautionary words, “experienced sailors only”—followed by the classic good sailor/bad sailor routine. Sudden storm! KA-BOOM! Shipwreck! And because it’s a children’s book, of course everyone is fine. Our soaked friends finally make it to… Ice Cream Island. Oh, the joy that can be had between two friends—now with a war story to recount, along with the best desserts. And wouldn’t you know it, when the writer returned home, the book seemed to write itself.

LOVE. IT.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter LOVED this book. Between the dogs and the ice cream, she couldn't decide what she wanted to look at in the book!

It's a cute book about two dogs who work together - one is a writer, one is the illustrator. Cubby talks Spike in to taking a break to go to Ice Cream Island, but they run in to issues getting there. Their friendship is threatened but it shows that friendship can weather a storm.... but it also shows that taking a break from what you're working on can lead to a great inspiration!

The illustrations were bright and colorful and my daughter loved the ice cream. She also really liked the dogs. I think they reminded her of her own dogs. This is such a playfully funny book and I highly recommend it to dog lovers! We especially loved the story being in the middle of a 100 degree Arizona summer!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

friends/friendship, dogs/animals, ice cream, vacation/adventure

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute dog/icecream/ adventure story. My children enjoyed it.

[Casandria · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book makes no sense and it isn't even entertaining