I generally think about the subject of today’s Perfect Pairing in winter time, when it’s cold outside. But given the increased warming of our world, I think any time of year is a good time to learn about these Arctic creatures. Don’t you agree?
Polar Bear Island
Written By: Lindsay Bonilla
Illustrated By: Cinta Villalobos
Publisher/Date: Sterling Children’s Books/2018
Ages: 3 and up
Themes: inclusivity, polar bears, penguins, differences, immigration, welcoming others
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
When Kirby, a fun-loving penguin, arrives on Polar Bear Island, she shakes things up—much to the dismay of Parker, the mayor. Will Parker learn to see how great it is to make new friends? Or will he chase Kirby away . . . forever?
“Welcome to Polar Bear Island. NO OTHERS ALLOWED!” Parker is the mayor of this peaceful, predictable island, and he wants to keep it just the way it is. But Kirby, a penguin, thinks the place is paradise, and she wants to stay. Parker says no, but the other polar bears love Kirby —and soon they’re begging Parker to let Kirby (and her family) move in. Will Parker agree . . . and make the island fun for EVERYONE? With its gentle message of inclusivity, this playful and lighthearted story will delight children.
Read my review.
Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival
Author & Illustrator: Lindsay Moore
Publisher/Date: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers/2019
Ages: 4-9
Themes: polar bears, family, perseverance, nonfiction, climate change
Short Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Imagine you are a polar bear.
Your coat is thick. Your teeth are sharp.
Your front paws are paddles, your back paws are rudders, and you can swim for miles.
Your home has always been the sea and the ice.
A sea bear, far north in the Arctic, hunts and naps and raises her young. She moves with the ice, swimming, running, stalking seals, resting. She follows the rhythm of the sea and the seasons.
But what happens when those rhythms change? What happens when there is no ice?
Lindsay Moore shares the story of one polar bear’s journey for survival in this stunning picture book.
Imagine.
Read a review at Kirkus Reviews.
I paired these books because both feature polar bears. While Polar Bear Island is a work of fiction and its main themes are welcoming others and immigrants, climate change is causing some people and animals to flee their homes and search for better lives elsewhere. With its emphasis on climate change, its informative back matter, and its text told in lyrical language from the perspective of a polar bear, Sea Bear is, I think, a wonderful book to pair with it.
Wander, Ponder, Write 