Ice Bears

On a freezing day in the arctic, two polar bear cubs venture outside with their mother. She teaches them how to use their claws so they don’t slip in their frozen world. Then she leads them across the sea ice, the only place to hunt for seals, their primary food. The bears need lots of fat to survive through the summer when the ice is gone and food is scarce.

Best-selling author Brenda Guiberson gives young readers a fascinating glimpse into the world of the polar bear. Breathtaking illustrations by Ilya Spirin bring the rich details of the arctic to life.

On a freezing day in the arctic, two polar bear cubs venture outside with their mother. She teaches them how to use their claws so they don’t slip in their frozen world. Then she leads them across the sea ice, the only place to hunt for seals, their primary food. The bears need lots of fat to survive through the summer when the ice is gone and food is scarce.

Best-selling author Brenda Guiberson gives young readers a fascinating glimpse into the world of the polar bear. Breathtaking illustrations by Ilya Spirin bring the rich details of the arctic to life.

Children's Literature

As winter descends on the Arctic, a polar bear gives birth in her den to two cubs. She nurses them through the winter, but by March she must eat if all are to survive. She teaches them how to walk on the frozen ground and struggles with them to reach the sea safely. She manages to catch enough seals to produce milk. By June, she and the cubs must accumulate enough fat to last through the seasons. The short summer arrives; the ice begins to crack. They go ashore and keep eating, plagued by mosquitoes. When the sea finally freezes, the bears return to the ice to hunt again. The double-page scenes focus on the bears and their efforts to survive, with some additional information about the environment on land and sea and of course the snow. Spirin creates naturalistic watercolor paintings of scenes visualized to enhance the story-telling qualities and evoke emotion more than photographs. The informative text and illustrations stimulate our curiosity while stressing the importance of the environment to the lives of the bears. Endnotes are warnings and alerts to the danger of the loss of the ice from global warming. Be sure to take off the jacket to enjoy the bears and seals across the cover. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Brenda Z. Guiberson is the author of many award-winning children's books about nature, including Rain, Rain, Rain Forest; The Emperor Lays an Egg; Cactus Hotel; and Spoonbill Swamp. She lives near Seattle, Washington.

Ilya Spirin is the son of award-winning illustrator Gennady Spirin. This is his first book.