Ice Journey of the Polar Bear
Martin Jenkins and Lou Baker-Smith
Walker Books

This addition to the excellent Protecting the Planet series is written by conservation biologist, Martin Jenkins. In this book, the author has deftly woven into his narrative the crucial importance of conservation: like those written by Nicola Davies, as well as a story, this is a rallying cry to youngsters to act as stewards for our precious plant and its wildlife now and for future generations.

Here we follow an adult polar bear as she undertakes an arduous and challenging journey

through a stunningly illustrated Arctic landscape during which she gives birth to twin cubs, one male, one female.

During her travels it becomes alarmingly evident to us, the readers, how climate change has negatively impacted, not only upon the polar bears but upon the Arctic environment. This means that the future for these cubs, which we hope will survive to become awesome animals like their mother, is an uncertain one.

As the author says in a note at the end of the story, ‘as the climate warms the bears are now spending more time on land than before. So far they seem to be coping and polar bear numbers are keeping quite steady, but as things get worse the population will probably start to decrease.’ This underscores the vital importance of our role as individuals and communities.

An important book to add to KS1/2 classroom collections and family bookshelves.