Polar Bear Postman

Japanese artist Kijima sends a polar bear postmaster across rural Japan in search of a red-crowned crane chick who has been separated from his parents. "We searched as soon as we realized he was missing, but we couldn't find him," they explain in a postcard. "Please help us, Mr. Milk." The first animals Milk visits are scary predators, a red fox and a white-tailed eagle who attest to not having eaten the chick (much as they might have liked to). But the sequence softens as Milk canvasses other creatures native to northern Japan: a Siberian chipmunk, some sika deer, and a Blakiston's fish owl. Kijima outlines his figures with rough and bold black lines, and uses soft strokes of color to fill them in, giving the spreads a childlike feel. It's lots of fun watching the postal bear stamp pieces of mail at his desk and pedal his delivery bike through small villages; delicate silhouettes of plants and flowers offer contrast. Spring turns into summer, and Milk receives another postcard that solves the mystery--a satisfying conclusion to this exploration of nature. Ages 5-7. (Nov.)