Sarah L. Thomson

Author Sarah L. Thompson and illustrator Jason Chin explore the world of polar bears in this nonfiction picture book, with a particular emphasis on the threats posed by climate change to their arctic home and way of life. The narrative describes basic facts about how polar bears live—how they are born while their mothers are in hibernation, how they emerge in the spring and discover the outside world, how they hunt seals on the ice—while the beautiful watercolor illustrations depict the show more actions described, while also including a polar bear scientist in white coat and glasses (presumably presenting the information). The narrative concludes with a discussion of melting arctic ice and how this will impact polar bears' ability to hunt and survive, and the book closes with some back matter about climate change and simple things children can do to help the environment.

Published in 2009, Where Do Polar Bears Live? is part of HarperCollins' Let's-Read-And-Find-Out About Science series, and is a book I sought out largely because of my interest in the artwork of Jason Chin, who won a Caldecott Honor for his 2017 Grand Canyon and a Caldecott Medal for the 2021 Watercress, written by Andrea Wang. On that score I was not disappointed, as the visuals here are quite appealing. I'm not sure the addition of the polar bear scientist was necessary, but I thought the depiction of the polar bears in the wild was charming. That being said, while the basic information here is still relevant, I think the book could use an update. The front jacket blurb mentions that "climate change may make it impossible for polar bear to live in the wild as soon as 2020," which needs revising. Moreover, the illustrations depicting the changing arctic ice coverage goes from 1980 to 2007, which could also use an update. Other than this however, I think this would make an excellent title to use with young children who are fascinated by these beautiful and majestic creatures of the far north. show less

This delightfully gruesome easy reader will introduce young prehistoric fans to a new animal; the Terror Bird! Simple text and basic vocabulary introduce not only the terror bird, it's habitat, daily life, and speculations on why it went extinct, but also the concept of top predators and other flightless birds.

The text is brief but informative, a difficult combination for nonfiction easy readers. On the one hand, you need more specialized and complex vocabulary for nonfiction while on the show more other hand you need simpler, basic words for a true easy reader. This book hits nicely in between with text like "The bird rushed at its prey. The prey ran for its life. It was not fast enough."

The pictures are vivid and do an excellent job of fleshing out the simple text, showing the various details of the terror bird's physical structure as well as its habits and habitats. There is a pictorial list of other flightless birds, both living and extinct, and a "more to discover" section with a few books, videos, and websites listed. There's plenty of predator action pictured, with a generous dose of gore to fill in the thrilling action sequences.

Verdict: This is a great start to a new series and will certainly interest kids who like the prehistoric era and are correspondingly bloodthirsty. I'd definitely recommend adding it to your easy readers or easy nonfiction shelves.

ISBN: 9781580893985; Published 2013 by Charlesbridge; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Added to the library's wishlist. show less

This book has the potential of being my favorite picture book. From an artistic standpoint, this book is filled with all the elements of design which artists use to create art. Lines are explored giving the viewer a sense of what the photo is conveying. For example, the artist use of vertical lines in the illustration of city buildings that conveys limitless potential. I appreciate how the interpretation of the book is based on the reader's experience. In other words, there is no definitve show more answer to what is happening in the book. It seems to just present itself and allows the reader to implant their imagination into the story. Its like being in someone else's dream; you can't understand why you are there but you do not want to leave the dream. This book provides surreal illustrations that presents powerful visuals by distorting the viewer's perspective; this is a perfect picture book that will inspire the reader to imagine the unimaginable; to suspend one's boundaries and dream. show less

Considering this book was practically wordless, I absolutely loved it! It had such meaningful content and a really powerful message throughout. The illustrations are so surreal and beautiful which makes the very few words on each page have so much more meaning. Without the pictures, I don't think the main purpose and message of the book would be made. One of the scenes they set for you says, "Imagine a day...when autumn is a yellow canopy above you, a burnt orange carpet underneath, a road show more you have never ridden before." The overall message of the book is that life is full of endless possibilities and we won't know what we're capable of until we try and go for it. I would absolutely put this book in my classroom and recommend it to children and adults of all ages. It speaks about things we can feel and truly resonate with. show less