A solitary polar bear explains how she lives on land, water, and ice and describes why each habitat is important at different times of the year. In spring and summer, the bear uses the ice as a platform for hunting seals. When the ice melts, the bear swims, using clues from weather and other animals to head toward land, even though "polar bears are not land bears. We wait on land. We hope on land." Living on stored fat in the fall and into winter, the bear digs a den in a snowdrift to accommodate her cubs. When the cubs are big enough, she will return to the frozen sea. The polar bear is not exactly anthropomorphized; she has awareness and a voice, but it is not a human one. Dramatic, luminous art ndered in graphite, watercolor, drawing inks, Conté crayon, and color pencils esents vast expanses of sea and sky in shades of blue, gray, and white. An author's note explains current research available about the changing arctic landscape, polar bears, climate change, and the future of sea ice.

K-Gr 2 A patient polar bear journeys through Arctic waters seeking land. It is springtime and warmer temperatures have caused the ice to break into isle-like patches in the ocean. The bear's odyssey is daring, the thin ice makes hunting challenging and fatigue eventually starts to set in. Moore, who studied marine biology and medical and scientific illustration, subtly demonstrates the impact of global warming on polar bears in this debut. In the illustrationsdone with graphite, watercolor, drawing inks, conte crayon, and color pencilsMoore combines layers of different blues to contrast with the white ice and the white bear, which smartly emphasizes the solitude of the creature and its predicament. Along with the expressive art, the first-person narrative will help readers connect with the bear and the other creatures it encounters in the book, including star-skinned narwhals, walruses, seals, and a whale. This title would work well for lessons on climate change, a science unit on Arctic animals, and as a companion to Lily Williams's If Polar Bears Disappeared . VERDICT An artful and expressive take on the effects of global warmingand a timely addition to picture book nonfiction collections. Kathia Ibacache, Simi Valley Public Library, CA

In poetic prose, a polar bear reveals her dependency on the cycle of Arctic seasons.The artwork is strikingly beautiful, with a palette that gives equal glory to such natural wonders as starry night skies, ocean depths, and the aurora borealis. The author/illustrator's background in scientific illustration serves the book well; the bear staring directly at readers early on has glistening eyes and a nose that surely will smudge the opposite page. Renderings of Arctic habitats and their denizens are equally impressive. The text also excels. Complementing its enchanting rhythm, the text includes some enjoyable alliteration ("a weary raft of wary walruses"). The bear begins her story by telling readers that polar bears are patient animals and that she has learned patience from her mother. This sliver of anthropomorphism cleverly engages readers with this particular bear while giving a basic, scientific account of one year in a female polar bear's life. The facts are fascinating. Polar bears apparently spend their lives alternately: gorging on seals and ambling on sea ice, then paddling toward terra firma during the annual ice melt, and then nearly starving while on land. The females move further inland to birth their cubs, and the cycle resumes as the ice rebuilds. "I will teach the sea's rhythm to my cubs and whisper to them in the dark."A subtle cry for environmental activism in an enticing package. (endnotes) (Picture book. 4-9)