Greetings from Antarctica

British author Wheeler whisks children to the globe's most southern land in this conversational distillation of the experiences described in her adult book, Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica. A letter to her godson, Daniel, provides the focal point of each scrapbook-style spread. Supported by breezy anecdotes, photographs and fact-filled captions, she charts her progress crossing this icy continent, offering information on Antarctica's history, topography, wildlife and climate. She brings home the fascinating details of habitation in the cold, austere land with descriptions of her clothing, food, modes of transportation and forms of entertainment (there's no television on the South Pole). Informal yet informative, the narrative achieves a welcome balance of past and present, providing notes on the exploits of early-20th-century explorers as well as experiments conducted by scientists currently working in Antarctica. Wheeler's fresh sense of humor makes her journey all the more diverting: ""Here I am discussing important matters with the locals,"" reads a caption alongside a photo of her holding a microphone out to a pair of emperor penguins. Spectacular photos of the Antarctic landscape depict the sun setting behind mountains of ice at summer's end and the author at the foot of the Barne glacier. A warm account of the coldest spot on earth. Ages 9-up. (June)