Polar Bear

Polar Bear (A Day in the Life:  Polar Animals), A Heinemann Library book, written by Katie Marsico, is another great nonfiction text for young readers.  A table of contents, glossary, and index help children understand this text even more.

The many photographs included in this book enhance the text.  Inset maps and labels also clarify the reading.  We enjoyed learning more specific facts from this book.

Question Collection:

*What did you learn about polar bears?

*Which photographs helped you understand polar bears better?

*Is there anything more you would like to learn about polar bears?

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle, continues the fun tradition of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? substituting “hear” for “see” through the pages. We enjoy making the sounds of each animal as we read the descriptive details.  

  

After a few readings, children can “read” this book by sight. The ending also provides a great way to slip in sequencing skills as it recounts the animals you’ve “heard” as you’ve been reading. We love to read all of Eric Carle’s books, and this one is a great addition to our home library.

Question Collection:

*What’s your favorite animal?

*I’ll say an animal’s name and you tell me the sound it makes.

*How could you dress up as an animal using things we have at home?

The Three Snow Bears

Three Snow Bears, beautifully written and illustrated by Jan Brett, uses the character of Aloo-ki as the counterpart of Goldilocks in the traditional tale of the Three Bears.  Aloo-ki, an Inuit girl, explores the igloo of the Snow Bears until they arrive home.  Taking a picture walk through this book before and after reading furthers the enjoyment of the story.  We love looking at all of the details Jan Brett puts in her illustrations.  We also enjoyed comparing the book to the Three Bears.  Aloo-ki is a very likeable character, and we laughed at the things she did.  Enjoy her adventures!

Question Collection:

*Can you imitate the different bears’ voices?

*Are you anything like Aloo-ki?

*What would your life be like if you lived in an igloo?

Dear Polar Bear...

Dear Polar Bear, by Barry Ablett, is a fun, fictional book that teaches children lots of information about bears.   Polar Bear writes to his various friends (other bears) around the world with his problems, and his friend, Postman Penguin, delivers his letters.  The envelopes are addressed to each friend with factual information about the bear’s habitat.  Each friend responds with a letter containing a solution.  Children have fun opening the letters to find out what the friend has sent. 

Children learn more about bears and their habitats while having fun listening to or reading this book.  In addition, the inside cover is illustrated with a world map showing each bear’s location. There is also much to be learned about friendship.  A surprise ending shows how much the other bears care about Polar Bear!  It’s a fun, heart-warming story to share with your children. 

Question Collection:

*Which kind of bear is your favorite?

*Which gift surprised you the most?

*What would you send to Polar Bear?