Polar Bear. (Animals Illustrated). William Flaherty. Illustrated by Danny Christopher. Iqaluit, NU: Inhabit Media, 2016. 24 pp., hardcover, $15.95. ISBN 978-1-77227-079-2. Subject Heading: Polar bear-Juvenile literature. Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7. Review by Tanya Boudreau. **** /4

excerpt:

Polar bears have a very sleek and narrow skull. Their narrow heads help them to cut through the water as they swim after seals to eat. Their jaws are very powerful and contain 42 very sharp teeth.

The polar bear is a carnivore. That means it eats meat. It is the largest carnivore in the world that lives on land.

If a child between the ages of four and eight asked for a book on polar bears, I would give her/him this one. The writing is concise, yet interesting, and the realistic artwork, which appears on every page, captures the beauty of the animal and the North. This book is divided into nine sections. Each section is two to four pages in length. The organization of the information goes from general to specific and ends with a teaser introduction to the nanurluk, an ice covered mythical polar bear. Most, if not all, of the facts presented in this book about a polar bear’s appearance and behaviours could be found in other books about polar bears, but, because the author is from Nunavut and the illustrator has studied and worked there as well, this fact adds authenticity to their story. The polar bear is presented to the audience in a respectful way. Readers will be in awe when they see the actual size of a polar bear claw and when they see the animal waiting patiently by a breathing hole for a meal. The polar bear’s white hair will no longer be seen as white. Instead, children will learn it’s transparent so the sun can warm the bear’s black skin, and it’s hollow so they can swim easier. This is a book that is meant to pique interest and leave a child wanting to read more in depth. It’s a starting place, but a starting place where children can easily fall in love with this majestic beast of the North.

Highly Recommended.

Tanya Boudreau is a librarian at the Cold Lake Library in Cold Lake, AB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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