Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-Newman adeptly balances photographs and text to introduce these animals to young readers. Each spread features one large photo and one or two smaller shots of the Arctic giants. Simple sentences in large print focus on the major concepts illustrated ("Polar bears are twins." "Polar Bears are not really white."). Additional information is contained in an accompanying paragraph. Consequently, the book can be shared with children of different ages and interest levels. Essential facts about physical characteristics, life cycle, habitat, survival skills, and environmental threats are included. After the main text, Newman provides additional facts about the creatures and about his approach to photographing them. While there is no shortage of material about these popular animals, this title is a solid choice for collections in need of a basic, well-designed overview of their lives in the wild.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato (c) Copyright 2011. 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 Horn Book Review
Irresistibly endearing polar bear photographs are the highlight of this picture book, although each spread also includes a factual statement about polar bears ('Polar bears are twins'; 'Polar bears are fast'), accompanied by smaller additional text that goes into deeper detail. The facts are genuinely interesting, including information about polar bear color (not white, they have black skin and clear, reflective hairs), grim chances of survival beyond the first three years of life (odds are a chilling one in four), and their superior swimming skills. Yet it is the numerous icy-blue photographs of adults and babies in their natural habitats that are most memorable, as they manage to capture the bears at their most appealing. In the final sections of the book, Newman emphasizes the challenges the polar bear population faces due to climate change, which is forcing the bears onto land and in conflict with humans. An author's note describes his various adventures obtaining photographs for the book. Addresses and websites for conservation organizations are appended. DANIELLE J. FORD (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
