Polar Bears and Penguins

Gr 1–4—Time for some circumpolar knowledge! Here, Hall highlights the similarities and differences between two of the most popular ice-dwelling creatures. She starts off by tackling a common erroneous assumption, explaining that the animals live on the opposite poles of the planet. Hall also compares fur to feathers, cubs to chicks, solitary to group living, and other concepts. Children will enjoy the sharp, full-color photographs of the animals and their habitats, and many pages are full bleed, which allows readers to scan for interesting details of the ecosystem. This book would be excellent for sharing with large or small groups. However, it is marred by a few weaknesses. A discussion of how the animals live on opposite ends of the globe includes tiny, superimposed maps that are so small that readers won't be able to decipher the miniscule script, which features important words such as "Arctic" and "Antarctic." Even more egregious is the poorly photoshopped image of a polar bear sitting on an ice floe while the lights of the aurora borealis shine behind it. The photo has been clumsily composed, and the sky, stars, aurora, ice floes and water reflections look completely artificial, thus undermining this work's authoritativeness. The book ends with a mishmash of back matter that provides further material about both animals, true/false questions, and a life-cycle calendar. Though this book is serviceable, its flaws greatly reduce its usefulness.—Denise Schmidt, San Francisco Public Library