A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris

 

A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett,

art by Shawn Harris

Candlewick Press, 2020, 40 pages

I always tell people that I love a good bear story and this simply told and beautifully illustrated story is one of the best. It begins with a simple declarative sentence "There is a polar bear in the snow" facing a blank not quite white textured page. Turn the page, and a smudgey black nose appears in the snow sniffing the air.

Awake from his nap now, a magnificently sized polar bear sets off with determination across the snowy landscape, as the unknown narrator asks: Where is he going? First, the polar bear passes by a group of playful seals, but he isn't hungry and he moves on. Next, he passes by a cave, so he's not going to safely hunker down in there away from the snowstorm. His fur will keep him warm. And he's definitely not going to see the man standing alone on the snowy landscape. No, that man quickly and wisely runs away from the roaring polar bear and his rather large teeth.

Once again, the narrator asks where is the polar bear going? Suddenly, the panoramic white/light gray/ice blue snowy vista, against which the polar bear looked small, gives way to the shocking icy greenish blue of the arctic sea, as he slowly slips into the water:

What follows are six pages of the polar bear playing in the sea with schools of fish swimming around him. And as he happily twists and turns and stretches his body, it becomes an underwater ballet. And when bear is done, he climbs out of the water, and following his wet, snowy footprints, once again the question where is he going and the answer: who know?

Spare text and the repetition of the statement and question There is a polar bear in the snow. Where is he going? will keep the suspense going and the simple answers help move the story along to the sea. But the straightforward text will also focus reader's attention on the wonderful illustrations. Each page in done on textured paper to look like untouched snow, and the polar bear, all the other animals(including human) and landscape are cut from the the same textured paper, with details inked in, and collaged to give each page a dimensional feeling. 

A Polar Bear in the Snow is definitely going on my list of favorite bear books, and I suspect it will be on the list of many young bear-loving readers. This is a charming book with touches of humor that will be read again and again.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+

This book was gratefully received by me from the publisher, Candlewick Press