Armand, Glenda, and Kim Freeman. Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better. Illustrated by Keith Mallett. Crown Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-56322-9. $18.99. 40 p. Grades K-3.

Ice cream is thought to have originated in China around 200 BCE, but was nothing like the popular treat of today. Ice cream as we commonly know it, was developed by Augustus Jackson in the 1830s. Born free in 1808, Augustus “Gus” Jackson knew from an early age that he wanted to be a cook. When he was 12 he moved from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. to work in the kitchens at the White House. Here he learned to make a frozen custard confection with eggs and cream. As he grew confident in his culinary skills he began to play with the recipe, eventually developing the style of ice cream that is popular today. Upon returning to Philadelphia in 1830 he opened Gus’s Ice Cream Parlor. Once a treat for only the richest Americans, Gus’s ice cream introduced the rest of Philadelphia and the United States to the delicious dessert. Throughout his lifetime Gus developed new ways to churn and freeze ice cream. He is credited with being the first person to add rock salt to ice in a wooden barrel which housed a tin canister that held the ingredients. Gus also figured out a way to store and ship his ice cream long before electric freezers were invented. This meant that he could sell his ice cream to other stores. Gus became one of the wealthiest African Americans of his time. This beautiful picture book biography tells the story of Gus’s ice cream ingenuity with detailed digital painting illustrations by Keith Mallett.

THOUGHTS: A delightful picture book biography about a lesser-known inventor and chef. Includes Bibliographic references, author notes, and a recipe to make your own homemade ice cream.

Picture Book
Biography