Polar bears

Offering close-up views of polar bears in the wild, nature photographer Rosing presents an album of excellent color photos divided into four thematic chapters and accompanied by lengthy, informative captions. The first chapter looks at cubs as they nurse, play, and follow their attentive mothers, journeying across the snow toward the sea ice. Other chapters consider how polar bears' bodies have adapted to their arctic habitat, what challenges the habitat presents, and which other animals live there. A section of related information about polar bears, a range map, and a short list of recommended Internet sites round out the presentation. While Rosing includes plenty of endearing photos, polar bears are shown as predators as well. A memorable pair of pictures shows a herd of walruses before and after they spot the polar bear behind them. The high quality of the photos and their reproduction will draw many readers to this visually appealing book, which provides plenty of worthwhile information in the captions and back matter.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist

Gr 3-6-The author of Face to Face with Polar Bears (National Geographic, 2007) and several other polar-bear books has compiled yet another one. A one-page introduction is followed by a collection of large, eye-catching color photographs with informative captions. The pictures show a cub's first steps outside the den, interactions with its mother, and survival behavior in the Arctic environment. Close-up shots of the animal's fur and feet show its adaptations to cold weather. Food sources and other creatures that live in this habitat are covered in a separate chapter. Back matter includes a list of facts, Internet sites, a map, and a helpful index. The polar bear's endangered status is mentioned but not dwelled on. Readers are shown the beauty of this majestic animal, and they will marvel at the exceptional photos and what they learn from the captions. This book will be a hot item in libraries.-Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.