Elizabeth imagined an iceberg

Chris Raschka’s Elizabeth Imagined an Iceberg (1994) is an unusual picture book. A girl named Elizabeth rides her bike and encounters a strange woman called Madam Uff Da, who behaves in a pushy, unsettling way. Elizabeth feels uncomfortable and threatened.

To cope with her fear, she imagines an iceberg—huge, cold, and immovable. This image gives her strength. Empowered, Elizabeth firmly tells the stranger to go away and rides off.

The book is built on metaphor: imagination helps a child find inner strength and resist outside pressure. The sparse text and bold illustrations heighten the tense, surreal atmosphere.