Polar Bear: Shrinking Ice

Children's Literature - Pat Trattles

The only place polar bears live in the world is in the Arctic Region, and the best place to see them is in Churchill, Canada, the polar bear capital of the world. But when researcher BJ Kirschhoffer went to Churchill to study the polar bears in September, 2009, he immediately noticed that something was not right. There were lots of bears, but many did not look healthy. In fact, some were so skinny that Kirschhoffer could see their ribs through their thick fur. Something was preventing the polar bears from getting enough to eat. Part of the "Built for Cold: Arctic Animals" series from Bearport Publishing, this book presents the dilemma of the starving polar bears; and thorough a discussion of polar bear lifestyle, habitat and life cycle, shows how scientists solved the mystery of why they were not getting enough to eat. The layout of the book is such that lots of information is presented in a visually appealing manner. The text is minimal, presented in one paragraph accompanied by information packed sidebars and photo captions. Much of each page consists of full color photographs and graphics highlighting the text information. Behind the text, photos, and graphics is a snowy background, further emphasizing the cold Arctic climate. Back matter includes a page of polar bear facts; short discussion of the ringed seal and arctic fox, two other arctic animal; a glossary of terms which have been bolded in the text; bibliography; suggestions for further reading, both online and in print; and a detailed index. A short "about the author" section is also included It all adds up to a great package for the nine to twelve year old scientist and at only thirty-two pages is ideal for the reluctant reader. Reviewer: Pat Trattles