For Fun Friday: Polar Bears

A few fun polar bear reads to share with the kiddos throughout the Polar Bear unit!

Cabrera, Jean.
The Lonesome Polar Bear.
2002.
Random House.

This cute, little polar bear is quite lonely, despite his friend the snow cloud. Knowing that the little polar bear is lonesome, the snow cloud decides to produce him some friends. However, all of the new friends end up melting away come the end of the day. They don't swim, splash or even play hide-and-seek with him! Will the lonesome polar bear one day meet his match in a friend?

This book is very creatively written - as a snow cloud produces snow animals to act as the lonely polar bear's new friends. It's a creative way to show the role that the arctic plays on wildlife, as well as to display and introduce different arctic animals to children. The book is perfect for practicing retelling with children and to use for sequencing skills.

Learning/Reading Activities:

• Create a family/class story of The Lonesome Polar Bear. Detailed instructions can be found here.
  

Murphy, Yannick.
Baby Polar.
November 2009.
HarperCollins.

Despite his love of cuddling with Mama Polar, he's also a very curious little Polar Bear. And once the snow starts swirling, he turns off his listening ears, opting to play in the snow, rather than heed Mama's warnings about staying close, as the storm could turn nasty. Sure enough, his opting not to listen leads Baby Polar Bear to a very uncomfortable situation, being separated from his Mama. After an intense search, just as he's ready to settle down, digging a big hole in a hill of snow, Baby Polar hears the familiar beating of his mother's heart!

This book allows parents the perfect opportunity to share with their child(ren) the importance of listening to elders. Take the time to talk with your children about different reasons when/why they should be listening and paying attention. Explanation helps children accept things!

Learning/Reading Activity:

• Here, you will find a list of listening activities that you can complete with your child(ren) to better improve their listening skills!
  

If you're interested in finding out more information about any of the books reviewed or if you'd like to purchase the books, click the cover image for a link to Amazon.com. I am an Amazon Affiliate, so any purchases you make after clicking these images will result in my receiving a small percentage of the sale price!