Review by Booklist Review
A glowing polar bear ventures from home to unite with other species from across the planet to raise awareness of their extinction. As the luminescent creatures coalesce into an ever-increasing crowd, ranging from bees to elephants, they invite children to come along and hear their stories "while we are here, before we all just . . . disappear." The endangered animals give voice to the things that threaten them and the places where they live and would like to stay. Wenzel's soft paintings gently show places of environmental degradation--reefs damaged by trawling nets, the deforested habitats of orangutans--but the focus is primarily on the numerous animals and watchful children determined to help them. Ferry and Wenzel strive here to build awareness about how the expansion of human society endangers the livelihood of many precious at-risk animals, movingly illustrating the emptiness that would be felt on the planet without creatures like pangolins, rhinos, manatees, and sea turtles. The call to action--"we'll ask you for your mighty roar, to show us we are worth fighting for"--is aided considerably by the warm, stirring artwork, which invites children to reflect on the human causes of wildlife extinction and encourages them to work together for a better future.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This passionate plea by Ferry to speak up for wildlife is narrated in tense rhyme by the title's "solar bear," portrayed by Wenzel as a sleek white ursine being who glows from within. Telling "a tale that's hard to hear.../ before we all just... disappear," the narrator and fellow bears use their light to "shine on what is wrong," revealing wild animals in tense encounters with humans over "ivory tusks./ And rhino's horn./ On tiny turtles not yet born." These creatures join the throng of displaced solar bears, soon greeting a child on a doorstep and explaining their plight ("We'll show you that our paths are linked--/ as you expand, we go extinct"). In response to the text's urgent messaging, myriad children, portrayed with varying skin tones, are soon seen cultivating gardens, and a quiet, rewilded landscape appears in this creature-voiced work that asks readers "for your mighty roar/ to show us we're worth fighting for." Resources and creators' notes conclude. Ages 4--8. (Mar.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A polar bear, infused with sunlight, describes its plight to young listeners. How exactly the "solar" bear came to shine is never explained, but Wenzel's luminescent beast does indeed glow against midnight blue backgrounds. Soon the bear is joined by similarly lit (all-white) orcas, chimpanzees, bees, and other creatures, gliding and floating across city streets, to "show you that our paths are linked-- / as you expand, we go extinct. // We'll shine so brightly that you'll see / that change is a necessity." At this moment, the scenes shift from night to day, and the illuminated animals blend in more with the light-drenched landscape--an indeterminate biome comprising beaches, forests, and cliffs. Children who are diverse in terms of skin tone and hairstyle--some of them have been observing the parade of wildlife throughout--are seen planting a garden, each becoming "a solar kid." Ferry doesn't explain how gardening and extinction are related. Wenzel has some eye-catching digital compositions that incorporate sequential panels and a diaphanous, curving blanket of snow at the conclusion, but they aren't enough to rescue a singsong-y, message-heavy text that doesn't add much to the topic of climate change. The shelf on environmental activism is crowded; this one doesn't stand out. (information on endangered animals, resources, author's and illustrator's notes) (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
