POLAR BEARS

With breathless excitement, Dion Graham sets the cold, windy scene for Gibbons's nonfiction book on the lives of polar bears. The extensive information includes such details as the scientific name Ursus maritimus, physical descriptions, descriptions of habits (swimming up to 40 miles aided by partially webbed feet, for example) and raising young, and the dangers of humans and global warming. Graham is an unobtrusive narrator who lets the world of the polar bear take center stage. His clear, engaged style and steady pace are perfect. Listeners will need to reference the print book frequently for Gibbons's signature illustrations as well as the maps and sidebar information that are referenced in the narration. Sound effects heighten the polar experience. A.R. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2014]