Callie Cat, Ice Skater

Spinelli, E. (2007). Callie Cat, Ice
Skater. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman
& Company. 

Callie Cat, Ice Skater
By Eileen Spinelli 
Illustrated by Anne Kennedy
Published by Albert Whitman & Company
Morton Grove, Illinois
2007
32 pages

Callie Cat loves to ice skate. She ice skates day in and day out and none of her friends really understand. It makes her feel a "melting sweetness" that she doesn't have a name for. One day, Honeybrook Ice Rink announced an ice skating contest and Callie decides to enter. She skates day and night with her friends watching on, shouting at her to do spins over and over and to be more graceful. When the big day arrives, Callie's friends do not wish her good luck - "Win!" they say. Callie skates beautifully, but she comes in second place. Her friends think it must be awful for Callie since she lost, but Callie doesn't feel that way. She goes out and skates all by herself and she feels that wonderful melting sweetness that she now has a name for... "joy". 

This is a wonderful story with a wonderful message - it doesn't matter if you win or if you lose, do you what you love because you love it. The language in the story is beautiful and poetic but still accessible to children. The cute character illustrations are set against lovely colors and landscapes and the dialogue between Callie, her friends, and her parents, are sure to be something any child can connect to. I highly recommend this book for children, and not just children who skate or play a sport! This book teaches a great lesson in joy. 

Purchase the book here. 

Classroom activities from Show Me Readers Award activity packet, sponsored by the Missouri Association of School Librarians: 

Communication Arts: 

• Callie and her friends notice a poster about a winter contest. Design a winter poster for our school and make a poster for the event. Include prizes that would be appealing to your school. 
• Callie identifies the feeling of joy she associates with ice skating. Write about activities that bring you joy. 

Math:

• Callie loves ice skating more than chocolate cake, her red sweater, and going to the mall. Survey your classmates and see which would be their favorite. Graph your results.
• Callie skated at night during the weekdays and during the day on the weekends. Use a blank calendar to track how many days and nights she skated each month. Based on your monthly calculations, estimate how much Callie practiced for the contest in two months. 

Science: 

• Make a list of things you can do outside in the cold weather. 
• How thick does ice need to be to skate on it? 
• What is the best way to dress when you go outside in the winter? Why? 

Social Studies: 

• The story does not say where Callie lives - predict where the story might be set. 
• Does Callie live in the city or the country? Explain your answer. 
• Research some famous ice skaters. Some examples: Michelle Kwan, Nancy Kerrigan, Sasha Cohen. 

Fine Arts: 

• Draw a picture of something you enjoy doing. 
• Cut out snowflakes and decorate the classroom for the setting of this book. 

Field Trip Opportunities: 

• Go to an ice skating rink.
• Attend a local winter contest.