Little Polar Bear, Take Me Home

A PreSchool-Grade 2 storybook.
Boredom drives little polar bear, Lars, to scrounge in the dump behind the polar research station in search of a tasty snack. He spreads out these morsels beside a railroad car to devour them in peace, but they immediately disappear. A quick peek into the boxcar reveals the thief. Poor Sasha, a Siberian tiger cub who had been on a journey to see the ocean, is lost, very hungry, and terribly homesick. Lars listens to his tale of woe, having learned through his own adventures that everyone can use a helping hand now and then. Sasha's desire to see the ocean puzzles Lar, though, because it bores him so. He helps Sasha get back home, traveling a great distance by train, on foot, and camelback before the cub's nose tells him they're in Siberia, where his parents greet them. Father Tiger sees it as his duty to return the favor and return Lars home safely, taking his son with him so he can see the ocean at last. Father Tiger declares, "There's nothing finer," giving Lars a fresh appreciation for his homeland. Although this is not a snappy page-turner, it is a sweet tale about caring and sharing, encouragement, appreciation, and cooperation. Detailed watercolor illustrations complement the text by providing the needed definitions of distance and travel conditions. A good bedtime selection for sweet dreams.
Susan Garland, Maynard Public Library, Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.