ICE BEAR
In the Steps of the Polar Bear
by Nicola Davies & illustrated by Gary Blythe
Impressionistic, dramatically lit Arctic scenes form an apt backdrop for this brief, strongly worded tribute to the world’s largest non-marine predator. Taking an Inuit voice and point of view, Davies explains how polar bears keep warm, hunt, play, raise young and survive in different seasons in their native habitats. Despite some over-design—distracting curvy lines of side commentary in a smaller typeface—and a rather startling close-up of a bear’s bloody muzzle after a successful seal hunt, this offers younger fans not yet up to the likes of Dorothy Hinshaw Patent’s Great Ice Bear (1999), illustrated by Anne Wertheim, both basic bear facts and compelling atmosphere. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)