
The Polar Bear, Jenni Desmond, Enchanted Lion Books, 2016

The Polar Bear book is sublime from tip to toe. It came out a few years ago but I want to share it with you! The opening page is heavenly and got me musing on the joy of reading as a child – AND also on the joy of reaching for a new book as an adult. We are talking a lot, lately, about why books are important in the lives of children. Books are a source of information, of seeing and understanding the world up close and from a distance. They might evoke all kinds of feelings: happy, sad, challenged, enlightened, comforted. They offer diversion, entertainment, amusement.
There on the first page of The Polar Bear a young girl, in her bright red crown, lies on a comfy couch and reads to her enthralled audience of stuffed toys. She is reading the book I am holding and I am as enthralled as the tiny rabbit!
The Polar Bear is an extremely informative book. It shines multiple lights on polar bears because, like so many animals on our planet, the polar bear is under threat from climate change.
I learnt so much. You will find answers to:
How do polar bears keep warm when the air is so cold your breath will instantly freeze?
What sound do polar bears make (the words deserve a poem!)
What are the paws of polar bears good for?
Why are polar bear eyes like a pair of sunglasses?
Jenni’s illustrations are breathtaking! So expressive. She uses watercolours, acrylics, crayons, pencils and printmaking techniques. The polar bear glows with life and hope.
The Polar Bear is a book to treasure, to sit with on a comfy couch or in a classroom and read to an enthralled audience!
Jenni Desmond is a picture book maker based in Hackney, London UK. In 2015 she won Best Emerging Talent (Illustrator) at the Junior Design Awards, and in 2016 she was made a Maurice Sendak Fellow and her book The Polar Bear won a prestigious New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books award. Her books have been translated into over 20 languages.
Enchanted Lion Books page