LOGAN SQUARE — A local ice cream shop and author are teaming up on something sweet for a good cause.
Pretty Cool Ice Cream, 2353 N. California Ave., is collaborating with local author Dave Scheidt to turn his new graphic novel for kids, “Mayor Good Boy,” into an ice cream flavor to benefit a literacy program. The story is about a dog that becomes mayor of a fictional town called Greenwood. It was co-created with illustrator Miranda Harmon.
Pretty Cool’s Mayor Good Boy Pop has a peanut butter flavor with a cheese cracker coating. It’s inspired by Mayor Good Boy’s favorite food, which is cheese, Scheidt said.
Pretty Cool uses Carolyn’s Krisps, a plant-based and gluten-free brand of cheese straws, for the pop.
A dollar of each pop sale goes to SitStayRead, a nonprofit where Chicago Public Schools kids interact with certified service dogs and engage with the program’s literacy curriculum.
“Chicago, in general, is just really about helping each other out and overcoming obstacles,” Scheidt said. “I think [the collaboration] really represents a lot of the stuff that represents Chicago.”
Scheidt was born and raised in the city, and his book is largely based on themes of positive civic engagement and youth empowerment. He said the idea for a collaboration with the ice cream shop was a “no-brainer.” He lives near Pretty Cool and found the community values of the shop aligned with those of the book.
“I think a lot about how we question whether we’re good people or not — like when you’re in public and someone does really nice for you and you think, ‘Wow, I should do that more often,’” he said. “Our hope is to inspire kids and show them that they can still change the world, even if they’re not old enough to vote.”
The Mayor Good Boy Pop will be available at Pretty Cool starting Sept. 3. You can pick up a copy of “Mayor Good Boy” the graphic novel at bookstores everywhere or online.
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