ICE BEARS (Polar Bears)

Henry Holt, 2008. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Near Fine/Fine. Ilya Spirin color illustrations. CONDITION: Gently perused on shelf 2008 Henry Holt hardcover (pictorial boards - different from the DJ cover - see my scans) & DJ, first edition, first printing. There are no major problems here: just perused on shelf. Wonderful, endearing color illustrations by Ilya Spirin. Although I've never met one, I love Polar Bears. Also, there is a discussion page on climate control - so if you don't believe in that, this may not be the book for you. CONTENT: Lush, realistic watercolor illustrations, filling each double-page spread, accompany a brief text depicting a year in the life of a female polar bear and her two cubs in the Arctic. As winter approaches, the polar bear digs a nesting den where she will give birth to her cubs, which "are born deaf, blind and almost hairless. Each weighs barely a pound." In March the family leaves the den and the cubs learn survival skills before traveling to the ocean in pursuit of their main food source, ringed seals. They encounter many other creatures along the way, but the polar bears are always the dominant feature in each dynamic spread. The final two pages feature alerts about the effect of global warming on polar bears and a list of Web sites of environmental organizations. The illustrations are lovely, including underwater scenes that are especially well rendered. The short text features enough variety and drama to keep readers engaged. This is a worthy introduction to a topic with perennial interest, especially since the species has become vulnerable. Grades K-3. Guiberson uses precise verbs and onomatopoeia to paint a picture of the daily activities of the bears while gracefully weaving in facts about their weight, diet, and climate. Spirin's detailed watercolors are surprisingly varied in depicting an essentially frozen world, using interesting perspectives including a close-up view inside the bears' den and a view of them peering through the ice as witnessed from below. End matter includes a call for action to slow global warming and a list of organizations to contact online.