Ice Bear: In the Steps of the Polar Bear [Hardcover]

Nicola Davies (Author), Gary Blythe (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 8, 2005 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Follow the path of the awe-inspiring polar bear as it strives to survive in an age-old Arctic habitat threatened by global warming.

Huge, magnificent, and solitary, a polar bear moves through the frozen Arctic. Powerful hunter, tireless swimmer, tender mother, gentle playmate — she is superbly adapted for surviving, even thriving, in this harsh and icy climate. Written in poetic language interspersed with fascinating facts, Nicola Davies' breathtaking tale of this massive, stark white animal is brought to life in striking paintings by Gary Blythe. Just as the Inuit people have watched and learned from this amazing creature for generations, readers are invited to witness the majesty of Ice Bear.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4–Given the number of anthropomorphized polar bears in picture books, it is important to have one that acknowledges the bears actual relationship with the people who share the Arctic north. There is no plot; pages are filled with tidbits of information in different font sizes about the animals. Texture from the canvas often shows through the color in the oil-and-pencil illustrations. This technique lends an ethereal, painterly quality that is often lovely, and occasionally distracting. Images are very realistic. One close-up shows the bears face smeared with blood after a seal kill. In the end, the unnamed narrator explains what the Inuit have learned from these animals. A quiet, thoughtful book.–Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK
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From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. Categorized as nonfiction but written from the perspective of a fictional Inuit speaker, this inviting picture book delivers facts about polar bears and conveys respect for their adaptive success. Information appears in both the lyrical main text and in one or two extra facts positioned elsewhere on each spread. Children will be fascinated by the impressionistic oil paintings of stunning polar settings and bears at play, tenderly nursing young, and, yes, hunting seals, an activity represented by a stark image of a bear's crimson-stained muzzle that may startle the youngest readers. Blythe's mottled daubs of paint upon woven canvas contribute textures that evoke the iridescent sparkle of ice and snow, but occasionally make the supplementary facts (printed in a small typeface) difficult to read. Still, this serves as a solid introduction to a powerful animal of interest to many children; a brief author's note about the threatened polar ice caps and an index extend its usefulness in the classroom. Pair this with Jonathan London's Ice Bear and Little Fox (1998). Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (November 8, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763627593
• ISBN-13: 978-0763627591
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 0.4 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #883,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars nice, January 27, 2010

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