POLAR BEAR, ARCTIC HARE

In this natural complement to Judy Sierra’s Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems (1998), illus by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey, Spinelli offers rhymed introductions to an arctic menagerie that ranges from orcas (“What’s black and white / [but not a penguin]? / What’s fast and fierce / [but not a bear]?”) to snow fleas, with the occasional wildflower or iceberg tucked in for good measure. In large painted landscapes that show the arctic in all seasons, Fernandes often places these easily recognizable animals in clusters—to the point, sometimes, that viewers may come away thinking that the “frozen North” is more densely populated than it actually is. Still, such light, inventive, easy-to-understand poetry is worth reading, either alone or aloud. (endnotes) (Picture book/poetry. 7-9)