Suspend disbelief and enjoy Cherie Stihler’s new reverse counting book, Polar Polka (Sasquatch,2008). Fanciful arctic animals join a polar bear polka band as pieces of iceberg break away and polar bears rally to save the day. Vibrant art by Erik Brooks brings the story to life, incorporating lots of active details that encourage kids to study every page.
If you think polar bears are getting lots of attention this reading season, you’re right. And unfortunately reverse counting of these great white beasts is what scientists are actually doing. Just yesterday we learned that of fifty-plus animals tagged and studied this spring, only one was a yearling, which means the cub survival rate may be plummeting.
At the end of her book, Stihler offers a list of easy ways kids can help fight global warming. Big people, too, might want to heed the warning and jump on the iceberg, so to speak, before it’s too late.