Starred Review ALA Booklist (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Starred Review A polar bear awakens in the snow. Where is he going? Not to visit the seals; not to hunker down in a cave; and certainly not to meet a man. Instead he dives playfully into the sea, swims for a bit, then re-emerges and waddles off. Barnett's spare text is succinct for squirmy toddlers, predictable for emergent readers, and yet sophisticated enough to imply much more. "Is he going to visit the seals? / No. He is not hungry" makes clear that although a visit sounds friendly, the result would not be. Harris' cut-paper-and-ink illustrations begin with a blank white page (exploiting the joke that a polar bear in snow is invisible), then gradually reveal his inky facial features, and finally his layered, cut-paper body. The spreads are mostly black and white, although some gray is used for backgrounds and shading, and blues and greens are introduced for the aquatic scenes. The four spreads depicting his undersea adventures are particularly appealing, portraying the bear swimming playfully among myriad sea creatures. With a snarky ending that Barnett readers have come to expect ("Where will he go then? / Who knows?"), this can be widely shared with little ones participating in one-on-one lap sits and toddler story hours, as well as those beginning to read independently.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Follow a polar bear in the snow to see where he's going.Readers are thus invited into this beautifully poetic story as the bear wends his way toward a destination that soon becomes apparent. Against a backdrop of white, grays, and smudgy touches of black, the majestic animal awakens from a nap in a snowy landscape and glides along, seeking neither food nor shelter-and definitely not a human. The refrain "There is a polar bear in the snow" and the question "Where is he going?" are repeated over the course of the bear's journey, capturing readers' attention and building suspense. Then…the background changes to shades of glistening turquoise, clarifying exactly where he was headed-and it all makes perfect sense. Afterward, sheer whiteness reclaims the bear and the scene, and he leaves his footprints and readers behind. This lovely tale is simply and gently told in a hushed tone with minimal text per page and offers up a tantalizing air of mystery about this much-loved creature. The captivating cut-paper–and-ink illustrations are appropriately atmospheric, offering varied perspectives. They perfectly suit the prose's quiet grandeur, and occasional blank or nearly blank pages suggest a completely snow-blanketed bear. The art reflects the peace, solitude, and colors of the Arctic habitat and depicts other wildlife that reside there, such as seals on which polar bears prey and arctic foxes.Charming, scenic, and a winning must for the youngest polar bear lovers. (Picture book. 3-7)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

PreS-Gr 1 Against a textured white landscape with the appearance of newly fallen snow, a polar bear awakens from his nap and the omniscient narrator asks: What will he do next? This striking, impressive bear, hardly more than a nose and eyes in early scenes, takes readers along with him as he encounters other arctic animalsseals playing in the snowand a man who obviously has been visiting the area. And what the polar bear does next is dive into the ocean and swim with fish. The simple text on each page is large and bold, making this ideal for those just beginning to read. The questions the text asks are a great hook for children, who can listen for cues and become part of the storytelling. The effective paper-cut collage scenes of the polar bear contrast with the blue of the ocean, complete with an ebullient underwater view of the bear swimming with fish. VERDICT An engaging, easy-to-read tale, perfect for winter story hours. Annmarie Braithwaite, New York P.L., New York City

Horn Book

Viewers follow a polar bear, newly emerged from hibernation, on a journey across a snowy landscape to the Arctic Sea. The offstage narrator's persistent question ("Where is he going?") propels the creature's journey past playful seals, an inviting cave, and a sociable human. His response to each of these potential interactions varies from lack of interest to steadfastness to aggression -- often with a smattering of implicit humor. ("Is he going to visit the seals? No. He is not hungry.") While the cut-and-torn-paper-collage illustrations (with ink detail) are almost entirely in shades of white throughout the book, a great sense of movement, depth, and mass is achieved through individual forms, as well as through layering, lighting, and texture. A striking glacial blue is introduced during the polar bear's acrobatic underwater routine, expertly sequenced across a double-page spread. After his swim, the animal continues his journey across the snow. The narrator now answers the text's oft-repeated question with: "Who knows?" Barnett (The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse, rev. 11/17) and Harris (Her Right Foot, rev. 11/17) have created an understated, reflective, and loving portrayal that also serves as a celebration of wonder and wandering.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Follow a polar bear in the snow to see where he's going.Readers are thus invited into this beautifully poetic story as the bear wends his way toward a destination that soon becomes apparent. Against a backdrop of white, grays, and smudgy touches of black, the majestic animal awakens from a nap in a snowy landscape and glides along, seeking neither food nor shelter-and definitely not a human. The refrain "There is a polar bear in the snow" and the question "Where is he going?" are repeated over the course of the bear's journey, capturing readers' attention and building suspense. Then…the background changes to shades of glistening turquoise, clarifying exactly where he was headed-and it all makes perfect sense. Afterward, sheer whiteness reclaims the bear and the scene, and he leaves his footprints and readers behind. This lovely tale is simply and gently told in a hushed tone with minimal text per page and offers up a tantalizing air of mystery about this much-loved creature. The captivating cut-paper–and-ink illustrations are appropriately atmospheric, offering varied perspectives. They perfectly suit the prose's quiet grandeur, and occasional blank or nearly blank pages suggest a completely snow-blanketed bear. The art reflects the peace, solitude, and colors of the Arctic habitat and depicts other wildlife that reside there, such as seals on which polar bears prey and arctic foxes.Charming, scenic, and a winning must for the youngest polar bear lovers. (Picture book. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Barnett (Paolo, Emperor of Rome) and Harris (Everyone-s Awake) open with an empty sheet of heavily textured white paper. -There is a polar bear in the snow,- the text reads, and a page turn reveals a few delicate charcoal marks: the bear-s black snout emerges (-he lifts his nose/ to sniff the air-). A reframe reveals the polar bear-s huge body, rendered in graceful curves of stiff white paper. -Where is he going?- Barnett asks. Subsequent spreads show the seals that the bear is not going to visit (-He is not hungry-) and the cave he is not going to hunker down in (-His fur protects him from the storm-). In photographed collages, the shadows of superimposed forms offer a sense of depth and even distance. The polar bear approaches the sea, leaps in, and dives and spins. One mesmerizing spread views the bear deep underwater, sun shining through the depths, surrounded by fish. Barnett-s humor, just right for littlest readers, adds warmth, while Harris concentrates on the elemental beauty of Arctic life with minimalist forms add simple textures that contrast the fragility of the paper with the strength of the bear. Ages 3-7. (Oct.)