Review by Booklist Review
Hatkoff, age 12, joins her father, Craig, and sibling Isabella, 8, in a new photoessay, following the runaway popularity of Craig and Isabella's Owen and Mzee (2006), about an orphaned hippo adopted by a tortoise after the Indonesian tsunami. Now, the Hatkoffs cover another animal story ripped from the headlines, with Gerald Uhlich of the Berlin Zoo sharing the book's crowded byline. In December 2006, a mother polar bear at the zoo abandoned her offspring, leaving a devoted zookeeper to play surrogate parent. Round-the-clock nurturing kept Knut alive to become an international celebrity. Many zoos have similar animal-rescue tales to tell, so this may not stand out as much as Owen and Mzee, and some readers will struggle with the German words and names before finding the key on the copyright page. Nonetheless, children will coo over the professional photos of the roly-poly cub, and the appended facts about how climate change threatens Arctic animals, as well as the briefly discussed furor over human intervention in animal babies' survival, expand the book's scope for discussion.--Mattson, Jennifer Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Owen & Mzee, Craig Hatkoff and his daughter Isabella told of the close rapport between an orphaned baby hippo and an elderly tortoise; here they team up with Isabella's sister Juliana and Uhlich, a board member of Zoo Berlin, to focus on another stirring, if less startling, interspecies friendship. A polar bear at that German zoo, Knut became an international media darling shortly after his birth in 2006, when his mother showed no interest raising him and zoo employees stepped in to take her place. Assuming the role of Knut's "around-the-clock foster father," the zoo's chief bear keeper remained at the cub's side for four months without interruption, day and night, feeding and grooming him, even playing him Elvis songs on the guitar and eventually teaching him how to swim. The informative narrative flows easily, yet the show-stoppers are the color photos, culled from numerous sources. Many put the fluffy, wide-eyed Knut face-to-face with readers; others capture the celebrated bear at play (wrestling with an old boot, mouthing a deflated soccer ball) or at rest (nestled between two stuffed animals in his sleeping box). Remarkably photogenic, Knut brings home for young readers the importance of saving polar bears' natural Arctic habitat, a message stated in the conclusion and reinforced with tips on how children can help combat global warming. Ages 4-8. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Knut is a German polar bear born in captivity. His story is told in simple language and accompanied by adorable, engaging close-ups of him and his primary handler, a zookeeper named Thomas Dorflein. Originally one of two cubs born to a befuddled mother, Knut alone survived, and he began to thrive under his human surrogates' loving care. Predictably, it's the color pictures of the cuddly cub that really sell this sterling title; Knut is, naturally, very photogenic. Readers who are too young to appreciate the light nonfiction narrative can approach this book purely as a photo-essay and still take a great deal away from it. The authors make quick work of the sensational, incendiary statement that launched Knut into the spotlight-that he should have been left to die. Instead they use his words to open an important dialogue and share information about Knut's natural habitat and how to preserve it. Consider this well-written, well-documented title an essential addition to every collection.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Young children will indeed be captivated by this tale of a baby polar bear raised by a zookeeper in the Zoo Berlin, but it is the adorable cuddly bear in the photographs that they will fall in love with. Born in December 2006, Knut was adopted by Thomas Dörflein when Knut's mother showed little interest in raising her cub. This is the story of how Dörflein took care of Knut--his feedings and sleeping, teething, playing and learning how to be a polar bear. When the zoo finally determined that Knut was old enough for public appearances, his first foray into the limelight was met by hundreds of reporters, cameras and adoring fans. His tale alerted the public to the plight of wild polar bears, whose habitat is shrinking because of global warming. Backmatter includes more information about polar bears and the threat to their survival, as well as a short list of ways children can help alleviate the effects of global warming. Teachers will enjoy sharing the co-authors' ages with their writing students (eight and twelve). A great way to raise children's awareness, this is sure to be a favorite with young animal-lovers. (Nonfiction. 5-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
