School Library Journal (Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

K-Gr 2 Insightful text and crisp nature photography follow a female polar bear in the wild as she cares for and protects her two cubs until they are strong enough to be independent. The animal's habitat, physical features, mating, and diet are touched upon with clarity and simplicity: "When the babies are born, they are no bigger than chubby chipmunks." Lang details the long trek from the polar bears' den to the sea ice, where food is more plentiful. Along the way, they glimpse a snowy owl, an arctic fox, and other prey including seals and walruses. From cover to cover, the presentation is gentle; a photo shows the mother dragging a dead seal from the water and across the ice, but no blood is apparent. This book will charm children and fulfill lower elementary curriculum needs. Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA

Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

Lang and Lynch traveled to the Arctic to observe and photograph polar bears. Stark white landscapes frame vibrant views of baby bears and their mother, as well as some other Arctic creatures (an owl, hare, and fox). Clear text narrates a year in the life of these "largest of all bears" and provides a window into the early development of cubs. Ind.

ALA Booklist

Offering a window into the world of polar bears, this attractive little book follows a female bear as she meets a male in the spring, hunts in the summer, gives birth to two cubs in December, and later marches her babies down to the ocean, where she teaches them to hunt. The simply written, informative text is beautifully illustrated by photos that are notable for their clarity and for their single source: wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch. A page of facts about polar bears and their habitat rounds out this effective presentation from the Nature Babies series.