The Lonely Polar Bear

Pres-Gr 1 A young polar bear emerges from an icy cave after a fierce snowstorm to find his mother and siblings gone. He sets off into the Arctic and meets a blue-haired little spirit girl who becomes his friend and travel companion. One night they see the northern lights, and the girl drifts up into the sky into the waiting arms of her family. The polar bear continues his journey on his own. He grows older, but with little to eat on the melting ice, he doesn't grow much bigger. A spread with an aerial view shows the bear alone, in the vast sea, on a small ice float. He falls asleep and dreams that he meets the little spirit girl again and is lifted up into the glowing wintry sky to her. The stunning illustrations are in cool tones of blues and greens. The final spread depicts our lonely polar bear sitting peacefully, looking upward and "enjoying his beautiful sky filled with northern lights." Back matter warns readers about the uncertain future polar bears face owing to climate change and encourages them to help by visiting two websites. VERDICT This sweet, almost whimsical book seems to belie the seriousness of the topic but can be used to start discussions of climate change and the effects of global warming on living creatures.—Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn

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