Book Description
for A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Black text on a white, two-page spread announces the presence of "a polar bear in the snow." A smudgy black nose and mouth cleverly and unexpectedly appear against the white of the next spread as the bear "lifts his nose to sniff the air." Another page turn reveals two black eyes as the bear wakes up. "Where is he going?" The polar bear, whose white-paper body casts shadows against the white background, traverses the snowy landscape. "Is he going to visit the seals? No, he is not hungry." He passes a cave (layers upon layers of white paper), roars at a human, crosses mountains, and finally arrives at his destination: the cool blue sea, where he enjoys a playful swim. Afterward, back on the snow, the bear's round back end is seen retreating. He leaves only shadowy footprints behind as he heads toward a new, unknown destination. Verbal clues direct young readers to study clever illustrations full of depth and texture in this story time-friendly picture book. (Ages 3-7)
CCBC Choices 2021. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2021. Used with permission.