Ice Journey of the Polar Bear

Through the lens of climate change, Jenkins (Puffin) depicts a female polar bear’s arduous winter journey. Naturalistic mixed-media spreads and vignettes by Baker-Smith (One Million Insects) convey the bear’s physicality while evoking polar chill with wispy strokes of white. As the bear struggles onto an ice floe, unvarnished text explains: “The ice broke up early again last spring—it always does now—and it was a hard journey back to land, swimming from floe to floe.” Food is scarce, but the bear feasts on a dead beluga, “its tail tangled up in an old fishing net.” After hibernating, she gives birth to two hungry cubs who cavort and wrestle adorably, unaware of challenges to come. Eager to eat after eight months of fasting, the mother, cubs in tow, heads for the still-frozen sea, where “thousands of seals with fat young pups” represent possible relief. It’s a starkly told wildlife tale that highlights the difficulties caused by human-induced warming, and ends with a solemn question and answer: if no ice remains in the Arctic Ocean at summer’s end, “How will the bears survive? I don’t think anybody knows.” Back matter offers more about climate change. Ages 5–7. (Nov.)