DEAR POLAR BEARS

Polar bears wouldn’t think of missing a party—even if it’s at the far end of the world.

No sooner do written invitations from the penguins arrive in Alaska, Nunavut, Siberia, and Norway than the polar bears pack their suitcases, hug loved ones goodbye, and set out on the long journey to Antarctica. Pausing along the way to get directions from passersby and marvel at wonders like the Egyptian pyramids and Machu Picchu, the bears wash up at last on a rocky shore (it’s been “a little warmer than usual,” as the invitation notes) where their feathered hosts await with a large pile of fish for noshes. Cutler expands on Prendergast’s spare text with wordless scenes, some inset like postcards, to illustrate both the trip and the preparations—culminating in a get-together that, aside from one furry guest who plainly regards the penguins themselves as party food, is altogether amicable. The author explains at the end that, of course, living at opposite latitudes, the two animals never actually meet in the wild…and also that both are threatened by habitat loss. Human figures met along the way are racially diverse, and one friendly city dweller wears a hijab. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Lighthearted fun for all (except perhaps that one penguin going down the hatch), with some solid underlying messages.