My Little Ice Brother

An overlooked page of Russian history, set in the hardship of the kolkhozes, where a glimmer of light emerges through the budding friendship between two children.

 

After the Red Army enters Riga, Nita and her mother are deported to a kolkhoz in the USSR. Amidst famine and freezing temperatures, Nita meets Ivan, a little boy with whom she will now live. The two form a deep and touching friendship, until Ivan—her “little ice brother”—falls seriously ill.

 

Through the voice of a child—a sensitive and intimate perspective favoured by the author throughout her work—Irène Cohen-Janca tells a story of exile, separation from a father, and life in the kolkhoz. At the heart of this relationship, born out of hardship, this short illustrated novel is carried by a style of writing that is both striking and moving.

 

Giulia Vetri’s illustrations bring softness and poetry to the narrative.

 

 

BY THE SAME AUTHOR

 

Ruby, Head High

A Tiny Little Toy

 

BY THE SAME ILLUSTRATOR

Charles Darwin and I

 

 

THE AUTHOR

Born in Tunis, Irène Cohen-Janca moved to France at the age of 7. A librarian by profession, she has written numerous novels and picture books for young readers, with a tone that is both thoughtful and serious, published by various children’s publishers, including Ruby, Head High, published in partnership with Amnesty International in France, selected in the National School Reading List, cycle 3 (France) and shortlisted for the "Incorruptibles" award (2018-2019). She also published A Tiny Little Toy which was a 2023 BRAW Amazing Bookshelf title. She divides her time between the Paris region (Essonne) and Geneva.

 

THE ILLUSTRATOR

An Italian graphic designer and illustrator, Giulia Vetri works in press and children’s publishing (Les Grandes Personnes, Albin Michel, La Partie…). My Little Ice Brother is her first book with Les Éditions des Éléphants. She lives in Brussels.