That friendly little polar bear Lars is back in this ninth picture-book devoted to his ongoing adventures. In this installment of the series, our ursine hero encounters a cormorant named Conrad - Conny for short - and is introduced to the local beluga pod. After befriending a little beluga named Bella, Lars has fun swimming with the whales. Then a massive gray whale named Moby appears on the scene, fleeing before a whaling ship. Where can the imperiled cetaceans hide...?

Originally published in Switzerland as Kleiner Eisbär in der Walbucht (literally: "Little Polar Bear in the Whale Bay"), Little Polar Bear and the Whales follows author/illustrator Hans de Beer's tried-and-true formula for the series, in which Lars encounters some other animals, and either helps them, or is helped in turn. Like its immediate predecessor, Little Polar Bear and the Reindeer, it also includes a fairly overt ecological message, something not seen in earlier titles. Here there is the issue of climate change, hinted at in the melting ice, as well as the question of whale hunting, which is overtly mentioned and condemned. Recommended to fans of the Little Polar Bear books, and to anyone looking for children's stories that address the issue of whale hunting. ( )

Teaches kids story grammer, and about friendship. ( )