This picture-book introduction to polar areas sets the stage with three round maps of Earth: one centered on the equator, another on the Arctic, and a third on Antarctica. Each right-hand page in the book's main section features a large, distinctive watercolor painting of wildlife in the Arctic or Antarctic, while the facing page carries a brief identification of the locale and any animals pictured, as well as a line or two of simply written text pertaining to the scene. Some creatures are shown on snow or tundra, while others are in the air, beneath the sea, or (in cross-sectional scenes) hibernating in underground dens or tunneling beneath the snow. In the afterword, each picture appears in miniature along with additional information on the animals and other features shown, such as permafrost and the aurora australis (southern lights). Given the demand for informational picture books on Arctic and Antarctic regions and their wildlife, libraries will find this a particularly useful addition to the Sills' handsome About Habitats series.