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PreS-Gr 1-When a piece of ice breaks away from a glacier, three polar bears find themselves at sea and without resources. They drift for a long while and then go from island to island, asking for help, but the inhabitants are not accommodating. The cows tell them they are too furry to stay. The panda bear gives the excuse of "not enough room," and the walled-in giraffes are too busy to invite them in. The polar bears' desperation increases as their piece of ice decreases. But when the friends drift onto the shore of their new home, they are not alone for long. A raft arrives full of monkeys looking for help, too. Will they be turned away or welcomed? This simple story line was inspired by the ongoing refugee crisis. It is accessible and appealing to very young children, and the charming animal characters and humorous touches mitigate the danger and frightening aspects of the situation. VERDICT This modern fable works as an engaging read-aloud and discussion starter for anyone looking to build community.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, Alta. © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Polar bears find refuge on a tropical island paradise.Three polar bear friends find themselves adrift on the big blue ocean when their ice-floe home cracks apart. Initially unconcerned, they entertain themselves, but then night comes and they grow worried. Spotting land, they ask the three Holsteins on the island if they can come ashore but are turned awaythey are too bear-ish. Still at sea, with their bit of ice growing smaller, they encounter another island inhabited by a single panda. The panda does not want them either; the island will be too crowded with three more critters. Tea-drinking giraffes reject their pleas also. At last, they encounter an empty island where they can lounge and play games. And when a boatload of monkeys sails by, the polar bears bid them WELCOME! Barrouxs tale is perhaps meant to send a caution about global warming, but the message falls short with the antics of the animals. Finally finding a home after what is supposed to be a catastrophe and then playing ball and sunbathing just does not flow properly. The colorful, full-bleed art features bears and giraffes with stylized, oddly shaped snouts; the pandas and the monkeys faces look startlingly puglike in contrast. Refugees forced to find a new homesadly, an always timely subjectdeserve better storytelling than this. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.