Young children will indeed be captivated by this tale of a baby polar bear raised by a zookeeper in the Zoo Berlin, but it is the adorable cuddly bear in the photographs that they will fall in love with. Born in December 2006, Knut was adopted by Thomas Dörflein when Knut’s mother showed little interest in raising her cub. This is the story of how Dörflein took care of Knut—his feedings and sleeping, teething, playing and learning how to be a polar bear. When the zoo finally determined that Knut was old enough for public appearances, his first foray into the limelight was met by hundreds of reporters, cameras and adoring fans. His tale alerted the public to the plight of wild polar bears, whose habitat is shrinking because of global warming. Backmatter includes more information about polar bears and the threat to their survival, as well as a short list of ways children can help alleviate the effects of global warming. Teachers will enjoy sharing the co-authors’ ages with their writing students (eight and twelve). A great way to raise children’s awareness, this is sure to be a favorite with young animal-lovers. (Nonfiction. 5-10)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-545-04716-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2007
BOOK REVIEW
The wriggly narrator of Diary of a Worm (2003) puts in occasional appearances, but it’s his arachnid buddy who takes center stage here, with terse, tongue-in-cheek comments on his likes (his close friend Fly, Charlotte’s Web), his dislikes (vacuums, people with big feet), nervous encounters with a huge Daddy Longlegs, his extended family—which includes a Grandpa more than willing to share hard-won wisdom (The secret to a long, happy life: “Never fall asleep in a shoe.”)—and mishaps both at spider school and on the human playground. Bliss endows his garden-dwellers with faces and the odd hat or other accessory, and creates cozy webs or burrows colorfully decorated with corks, scraps, plastic toys and other human detritus. Spider closes with the notion that we could all get along, “just like me and Fly,” if we but got to know one another. Once again, brilliantly hilarious. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-06-000153-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Joanna Cotler/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2005
Rylant (Henry and Mudge and the Sneaky Crackers, 1998, etc.) slips into a sentimental mode for this latest outing of the boy and his dog, as she sends Mudge and Henry and his parents off on a camping trip. Each character is attended to, each personality sketched in a few brief words: Henry's mother is the camping veteran with outdoor savvy; Henry's father doesn't know a tent stake from a marshmallow fork, but he's got a guitar for campfire entertainment; and the principals are their usual ready-for-fun selves. There are sappy moments, e.g., after an evening of star- gazing, Rylant sends the family off to bed with: ``Everyone slept safe and sound and there were no bears, no scares. Just the clean smell of trees . . . and wonderful green dreams.'' With its nice tempo, the story is as toasty as its campfire and swaddled in Stevenson's trusty artwork. (Fiction. 6-8)
Pub Date: April 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81175-6
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1998
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