Told in the voice of the polar bear herself, this story traces a bear's journey out onto the sea ice to hunt seals, then the treacherous return to land as the ice breaks up when the summer warmth returns. Illustrations show the bear waiting at an air hole for a seal to surface, swimming in the channels between the ice floes, and cuddled in a snow den with her cubs. We also see ocean dwellers such as narwhals, walruses, and a whale as the bear swims past them and back to shore.
This could be used with a unit on polar bears, or arctic animals in general. Since it covers a year in the bear's life, it could also be part of a look at seasons and how they affect wildlife. But it could also introduce how polar bears' survival is impacted by the shrinking sea ice that they need to successfully hunt and build up their energy reserves for the warmer months when they are stuck on land. As the text says, "Polar bears are not land bears. We wait on land. We hope on land."
Back matter includes an explanation of polar bears and their dependence on sea ice, as well as details about the other animals depicted in the book.
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