Synopsis
The ferocious, snarling beast closing in on you fast has a toothache. In the white wastelands of the Arctic, there is nowhere to hide. Where is that helicopter?
Despite surviving this nightmare, award-winning photographer Norbert Rosing loves the charming, playful side of the polar bear. Yes, they slashed his tires, but mankind is now ruining their climate and environment. Surely the bears' anger is understandable. Rosing's book connects children with the consequences of global warming, and gives practical advice on how to help save our white-furred friends.
Children's Literature
If you have been reading the newspapers lately, you would be aware that polar bears may be greatly endangered by global warming. Their habitat is changing and changing much faster than they can adapt. The author and his wife were on an expedition to photograph polar bears and they ventured to Churchill in Manitoba, Canada, which is sometimes referred to as the "polar bear capital of the world." These bears are big and powerful. The book opens with their frightening encounter with a bear who had a tooth ache and seemed determined to break into their camp. After that experience, Rosing tells about his ventures to the Arctic to photograph wildlife and how he became fascinated by polar bears. His pictures are amazing—a bear eating a walrus, a mother snuggling with her cub, bears swimming in icy cold waters, and young males at play (but this play acting will help them later when they actually will fight over a female). The final pages address how readers can help fight global warming to protect the bears' habitat, and also how one can become a budding animal photographer. If a young reader is working on a report, the facts-at-a-glance, glossary and find-out-more sections will be particularly helpful. The latter includes printed materials as well as web sites. An excellent book for school, public library, and home use. Look for other titles in the "Face to Face" series.