Barry Varela

I enjoyed reading this story of two separate baby animals, a polar bear and a walrus, and their experiences growing up. I really liked the way the author set up the presentation of the information by comparing these two very different arctic animals, presenting the fact that they have a lot of common and are faced with the same big issue of their environment changing. For example the author uses phrases with repetition to show how both animals eat, sleep, play, hunt for food, and face hardships that are closely related, based on their surroundings with very similar pictures of the different animals' lives. I also really enjoyed how this informational book also takes on the role of the story of two particular animals' journeys, instead of just being a normal presentation of information on the animals. The author does this by intertwining the important facts about the animals and the Arctic within their stories and the development of the plot. The story tell how each of the animals grow, and face conflict, and eventually find a happy ending all grown-up with a family of their own. Through these two aspects, the author successfully presented the big idea of life in the Arctic for two of the most prominent animals who live there with their families, and the environmental issues arising in their environment.… (meer)