Polar Bear, Arctic Hare: Poems of the Frozen North

by Eileen Spinelli, Eugenie Fernandes (Illustrator)

Overview

The Arctic may be a cold and unforgiving place, but it teems with wildlife, from the humble orange-golden bumblebee to the majestic beluga whale. Eileen Spinelli's poems, spanning the four seasons, beautifully capture the splendor of these creatures, in the wild, icy landscape of the frozen North.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629791128
Publisher:	Boyds Mills Press
Publication date:	09/01/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)
Lexile:	NP (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Since Eileen Spinelli's debut in 1991 with Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, an IRA/CBC Children's Choice book and Christopher Award winner, she has gone on to author numerous picture books, poetry collections, and chapter books, including the best-selling When Mama Comes Home Tonight, and the critically acclaimed Sophie's Masterpiece. She lives with her husband in West Chester, Pennsylvania. eileenspinelli.com.

Eugenie Fernandes has illustrated more than one hundred books for children, including The Mouse Was Out at Recess. She lives in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

Editorial Reviews

"Such light, inventive, easy-to-understand poetry is worth reading, either alone or aloud. (endnotes)" —Kirkus Reviews

"The rhythmic poems in this picture-book collection combine simple wordplay with exciting biological fact. . . . Offers plenty to read aloud and talk about in classes across the curriculum." —Booklist

"Well paced, with a strong relationship between illustration and poetry, this book will help children understand this vital ecosystem and the beauty of its wildlife." —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Most people think of the Arctic as being very cold and uninhabited. This frozen land is home to many animals, however, from the huge polar bear to the tiny snow flea. Eileen Spinelli has written brief, evocative poems about various animals, plants, and even icebergs and the sun. The poems range from the truly original to re-writes of old favorites, such as "Arctic Nursery Rhyme" which follows the "Mary, Mary Quite Contrary" form. Some, such as "Caribou," are very energetic and upbeat, while "Safe and Warm" (on the same page as "Caribou"), are well suited for bedtime. Fernandes' breathtaking illustrations both accurately illustrate the poem subjects as well as fitting the emotions of each poem. Rare is the book that manages to capture both science and poetry, but the team of Spinelli and Fernandes have created a truly beautiful work.

Children's Literature - Amie Rose Rotruck

K-Gr 3 - In this precisely rendered collection, 24 Arctic-inspired poems (in a style reminiscent of Aileen Fisher's) are matched with 12 spreads of acrylic paintings of the region's flora and fauna. Subjects include the Arctic hare, lemming, narwhal, caribou, musk-ox, ptarmigan, Arctic poppy, and snow flea. The poetry's natural pacing lends itself to reading the work through as a picture book. The art is done in a bright palette of cold white and chilly blues mixed with the yellows and oranges of spring and summer. In one illustration, a polar bear cub investigates a bumble bee that hovers above his nose, while buntings and terns dart by: "The Arctic bumblebee can sting/if it so has a mind to-/although it's rather nice to know/it seldom seems inclined to." The final pages include additional quick facts on the animals along with a small icon from the original illustration so that children can readily connect the new information with the earlier poem/illustration. Well paced, with a strong relationship between illustration and poetry, this book will help children understand this vital ecosystem and the beauty of its wildlife.-Teresa Pfeifer, Alfred Zanetti Montessori Magnet School, Springfield, MA

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School Library Journal