Polar Bears [Paperback]

Gail Gibbons (Author, Illustrator), Megan Lloyd (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

The polar bear is the biggest and most powerful of the animals that are able to survive the hostile climate of the Arctic. Cubs are born during the cold dark winter, even though they start out with only a thin coat of fur and weigh a little over one pound. The mothers raise and teach them so they may grow and survive in the wild. Here is information about how polar bears swim and hunt, how they keep warm and dry, and the many other ways they adapt to their environment.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-This charmingly illustrated book is full of facts about this Arctic animal: where it lives, what it eats, how it gets its food, when it mates, how it rears its young, and the dangers it faces. Temperatures are given in Fahrenheit and Celsius, weight in pounds and kilograms, height in feet and meters. Although lots of information is imparted, some readers may be left with questions. For example, the text states that a polar bear "is able to catch a seal about every five days." Does this mean it only feeds every five days? Despite minor flaws, this book will be a useful introduction to these magnificent animals, and readers will be enticed by the appealing illustrations, many of which are labeled.

Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Mt. St. Alban, Washington, DC

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. Gibbons follows her trademark format of colored sketches and simple, informative text in this solid introduction to polar bears. An introductory spread about the polar region includes a map and examples of the few other animals that live there. Gibbons goes on to describe the bear's body size and features, including interesting facts such as why the bears have no eyelashes (they would collect ice). Explanations of the bear's life cycle pair with cozy pictures of the mother bear in her snug den nursing her cubs. Warnings about environmental hazards affecting the bears and a "Paw Prints" section of fast facts conclude. Written in brief, engaging sentences with facts that inform but don't overwhelm, this is a good selection for beginning report writers; it will also work well as nonfiction read-aloud for young ones. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823417689
• ISBN-13: 978-0823417681
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9.8 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #128,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Bears > Nonfiction
  • #17 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Pets > Nonfiction
  • #24 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( G ) > Gibbons, Gail

More About the Author

Gail Gibbons has published close to fifty distinguished nonfiction titles with Holiday House. According to "The Washington Post," "Gail Gibbons has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." She lives in Vermont. Her website is www.gailgibbons.com