Polar Bears

Children's Literature - Kathleen Karr

This is an attractive and informative introduction to its subject, suitable for reading to younger children, or being read by early readers. Everything kids might want to know about polar bears, from what they eat, to how they swim, to their interaction with humans in safari tundra buggies is explained. Mu±oz's accompanying photographs are excellent and perfectly keyed to the text.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-4--Clear full-color photos on each page and crisply informative texts with simple sentences are the signatures of this series. All of the books include a section for adults on related activities. Bearing cubs (Polar Bears) and egg-laying (Sandhill Cranes and Tarantulas) are mentioned but mating is never alluded to, though the male parenting role in Stone's book is described. Although there are several titles on polar bears available, such as Emilie Lepthien's Polar Bears (Children's, 1991), the popularity of these elegant endangered predators means there is usually room on the shelf for another attractive book. As for sandhills, these soign cranes have been extremely neglected in favor of their larger, heavily endangered cousins, the whooping cranes. While there has been a spurt of books on the tarantula lately, including Susan Clymer's There's a Tarantula (Scholastic, 1997), the high "ick-factor" of these hairy arachnids creates a heavy demand for titles, and a previous dearth of material makes a new book helpful indeed. Attractive, informative, and useful.--Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY