Karl and Hazel are two polar bears who are both polar opposites. One wears glasses. The other doesn't. One thinks he smells like stinky old fish, and, while the other agrees that he does, but only just a tiny bit! As our tale begins on a clear, peaceful, starlit night, Karl and Hazel suddenly find themselves separated from their fellow bears when their ice floe cracks, setting the unlikely duo adrift into the sea.At first, Karl and Hazel cannot believe that they are stuck out in the middle of the deep blue sea with each other. The "Walls of Jericho"... in this case are made up of ice blocks, is quickly constructed by the duo so they can be separated from each other. But soon, the walls start to come down, as they both begin to realize that being detached from one another is truly a lonely place to be. Karl and Hazel soon start to learn that they both share a love of building snowmen, playing "I Spy" and singing silly songs. When our unlikely pair find themselves rescued, will their friendship remain?
This is a brightly illustrated, delightfully quirky, whimsical tale of the importance of taking a second chance on someone. I also greatly appreciated the author's note at the end of the story, detailing the many things that we can do to help protect these beautiful, endangered animals but to protect their natural environment from the effects of climate change. Perfect ending for not only a classroom read-aloud to go along with a science/nature lesson, but a bed-time story for your little nature protectors!
Adrift- An Odd Couple of Polar Bears
Written & Illustrated by Jessica Olien
Publisher: Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Website: www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Author's Website: www.jessicaolien.com
ISBN: 978-0-06-245177-4
Retail Price: $17.99 (Hardcover)
Ages 4 thru 8
No comments:
Post a Comment