The arctic fox's journey

In late fall, an arctic fox leaves her family group and goes on the prowl alone. The color of her fur lightens from brown to white, the better to conceal her in the frozen landscape. She hunts lemmings, tunneling beneath the snow, and, heading north, scavenges food from carcasses left by larger predators, such as polar bears and arctic wolves. She climbs a mountain and, for three months, lives in a dark world of ice and snow, lit only by the moon and the northern lights. When the sun reappears, she roams southward, returning to the tundra after a 2,000-mile journey. The author notes that melting sea ice due to global warming may put an end to this amazing annual trek. The picture book concludes with an easy but effective hands-on project, demonstrating camouflage by holding up sheets of brown, gray, and white paper to a large stone, a sidewalk, and a tree trunk. From the respected Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series, this attractive volume introduces the arctic fox through simply written sentences and appealing digital illustrations.--Carolyn Phelan Copyright 2010 Booklist