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Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World
From the bestselling author of Owen & Mzee, a picture book about Knut, the adorable polar bear cub who's captured hearts around the world.
When Knut was born, the first polar bear cub at the Berlin Zoo in more than thirty years, he was no bigger than a snowball and unable to care for himself. His mother, a rescued East German circus bear, didn't know how to take care of Knut and rejected him. Knut would have died if it weren't for Thomas Dorflein, a zookeeper who nurtured Knut, feeding him, sleeping with him, and giving him the love and attention Knut needed to thrive. But Thomas wasn't the only one who adopted Knut. The adorable little polar bear captured the world's attention, and now Knut is loved around the globe.
When Knut was born, the first polar bear cub at the Berlin Zoo in more than thirty years, he was no bigger than a snowball and unable to care for himself. His mother, a rescued East German circus bear, didn't know how to take care of Knut and rejected him. Knut would have died if it weren't for Thomas Dorflein, a zookeeper who nurtured Knut, feeding him, sleeping with him, and giving him the love and attention Knut needed to thrive. But Thomas wasn't the only one who adopted Knut. The adorable little polar bear captured the world's attention, and now Knut is loved around the globe.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2007
5 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 27, 2017
Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World by Craig Hatkoff is an adorable true story about Knut, a polar bear cub born at Berlin Zoo, and Thomas, the man who raised him. Knut becomes the whole world to Thomas and captures the hearts of many other people too. Children and adults will enjoy this heartwarming story. The book is jam-packed full with photos taken of Knut and Thomas at the Berlin Zoo."
5*****
February 19, 2020
Although I do find Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World heartwarming in and of itself, the very fact that Knut the polar bear died in 2011 and that his caretaker Thomas Dörflein had previously passed away in 2008, makes this story also feel somewhat bittersweet (and yes, even potentially melancholy). And indeed, like many if not most books by the Hatkoffs I have read to date, the photographs are totally and definitely once again the absolute stars in Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World, amazing and absolutely wonderful (as for me, there is often nothing quite as cute and as sweet as a fluffy white polar bear cub exploring its surroundings, and Knut also seems to have been extraordinarily photogenic). But that having been said, the narrative that accompanies the many Knut the polar bear photographs (and which does in my opinion have a tendency to be somewhat repetitive and dense) still manages to also be flowing and descriptive enough, and while I do find the Hatkoffs’ featured text not nearly as evocative as their endearing pictures of Knut, the narrative is still readable and informative, and as such also a more than adequate and sufficient accompaniment to and complement to the photographs.
Now while I am certainly glad that the Hatkoffs have briefly mentioned the controversies surrounding Knut's birth and rescue in their text, I also really do believe that they should have somewhat if not even massively expanded on this (in my opinion) important aspect of the story (perhaps not within the text proper, but a more complete and detailed account in the back materials would definitely have improved Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World in my opinion and much expanded its learning and teaching potential and scope).
Finally and personally, I also do strongly think that in light of the fact that both Knut and his original caretaker Thomas Dörflein have since passed on, Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated The World should really now be republished with these additional details added (either as a preface, or again, as an addition to the back materials). And while I would generally not hesitate to recommend this book, I do believe that parents, teachers, librarians (basically anyone who might be reading Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World with or to children) should be anticipating potential questions about Knut (and perhaps even about some of the controversies surrounding his life and death) and should thus be prepared to provide acceptable and useable answers.
Now while I am certainly glad that the Hatkoffs have briefly mentioned the controversies surrounding Knut's birth and rescue in their text, I also really do believe that they should have somewhat if not even massively expanded on this (in my opinion) important aspect of the story (perhaps not within the text proper, but a more complete and detailed account in the back materials would definitely have improved Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World in my opinion and much expanded its learning and teaching potential and scope).
Finally and personally, I also do strongly think that in light of the fact that both Knut and his original caretaker Thomas Dörflein have since passed on, Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated The World should really now be republished with these additional details added (either as a preface, or again, as an addition to the back materials). And while I would generally not hesitate to recommend this book, I do believe that parents, teachers, librarians (basically anyone who might be reading Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World with or to children) should be anticipating potential questions about Knut (and perhaps even about some of the controversies surrounding his life and death) and should thus be prepared to provide acceptable and useable answers.
October 20, 2011
How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World by Craig Hatkoff, Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlichis a wonderful Picture Book about the life of Knut.
Knut’s mum was a rescued East German circus bear and when Knut was born he was around the size of a snowball. After his mother’s rejection, Knut would have most definitely died were it not for great veterinary care and then the zookeeper, Thomas Dorflein, who did some round the clock surrogate parenting for many months. Thomas fed him with a bottle like a human baby and taught him essentials like swimming. Kids and adults will fall in love with this adorable bear through the photo illustrations and simple, true story. I believe kids, especially animal lovers; from 5-11 will love this story.
Knut’s mum was a rescued East German circus bear and when Knut was born he was around the size of a snowball. After his mother’s rejection, Knut would have most definitely died were it not for great veterinary care and then the zookeeper, Thomas Dorflein, who did some round the clock surrogate parenting for many months. Thomas fed him with a bottle like a human baby and taught him essentials like swimming. Kids and adults will fall in love with this adorable bear through the photo illustrations and simple, true story. I believe kids, especially animal lovers; from 5-11 will love this story.
May 8, 2015
A biographical book about the polar bear cub born in a German zoo and abandoned by his mother. The book tells the salient points of the story without glossing over the death of his twin or the maternal rejection. It has good pictures and good descriptions of the different aspects of his growth.
The book ends with him being successfully integrated into the zoo.
Unfortunately since then Knut's story became sad as he unfortunately died as did his human carer.
This book covers most of his young life and talks about the difficulties and dangers facing polar bears today.
The book ends with him being successfully integrated into the zoo.
Unfortunately since then Knut's story became sad as he unfortunately died as did his human carer.
This book covers most of his young life and talks about the difficulties and dangers facing polar bears today.
April 27, 2018
Knut, the polar bear cub who spawned a million chain emails, is the cuddly subject of this offering from the authors of Owen & Mzee.
The world-famous cub was born at the Berlin Zoo in December 2006. After his mother refused to care for him, he was put in the 24-hour-care of zookeeper Thomas Dörflein, who raised him much as one would a human infant. It’s here that the text gets a little dishonest. Wild animal mothers don’t always know how to take care of their babies, the book reads. While it’s true that this seems to be a phenomenon among wild animals in captivity, it doesn’t appear to be as common in their natural states.
Of course, any discussion of Knut will include the controversy surrounding the supposed calls for his euthanasia. Thankfully, this book gets the story straight. A newspaper reported one man’s comments that Knut should not have been rescued. ... News of the man’s statement and the public’s strong reaction against it quickly spread around the world, the text reads. It was, indeed a single person who made the statements, and he was not speaking for any particular group. Unfortunately, the statement was used to tar animal rights advocates in general, with one shrill politician even trying to tie the statements to American animal organizations.
The authors make the perhaps over-optimistic statement that Knut will inspire his fans to fight global warming and other environmental threats to polar bears. To that end, the book offers some simple eco-friendly suggestions at the end of the story.
The world-famous cub was born at the Berlin Zoo in December 2006. After his mother refused to care for him, he was put in the 24-hour-care of zookeeper Thomas Dörflein, who raised him much as one would a human infant. It’s here that the text gets a little dishonest. Wild animal mothers don’t always know how to take care of their babies, the book reads. While it’s true that this seems to be a phenomenon among wild animals in captivity, it doesn’t appear to be as common in their natural states.
Of course, any discussion of Knut will include the controversy surrounding the supposed calls for his euthanasia. Thankfully, this book gets the story straight. A newspaper reported one man’s comments that Knut should not have been rescued. ... News of the man’s statement and the public’s strong reaction against it quickly spread around the world, the text reads. It was, indeed a single person who made the statements, and he was not speaking for any particular group. Unfortunately, the statement was used to tar animal rights advocates in general, with one shrill politician even trying to tie the statements to American animal organizations.
The authors make the perhaps over-optimistic statement that Knut will inspire his fans to fight global warming and other environmental threats to polar bears. To that end, the book offers some simple eco-friendly suggestions at the end of the story.
November 29, 2016
Craig Hatkoff coauthored this story with his daughters, Juliana and Isabella, after writing the bestselling story of Owen and Mzee. It is a story of how one little polar bear survived through the perseverance of a zookeeper and the entire community of Zoo Berlin. Knut's mother could not care for him when he was born, so Thomas Dorflein raised him by hand. He stayed close by Knut's side as he nurtured the animal until he could thrive on his own. I enjoyed using this informational book to teach first graders about nonfiction text features, while integrating the story with our habitat unit in science. The text is rich with photographs and captions. We practice writing our own captions to match photographs to clarify our understanding of the text. This book is a good read aloud for my students because the text is a bit complex for their independent reading. Students also love the story!
March 13, 2018
A wonderful, cute story of a polar bear who was raised by a human father. Loved it! Except I felt that the Hatkoffs should've added a little more details.
January 15, 2018
This is the story of Knut, a polar bear born in 2006 at Zoo Berlin. The chief bear keeper, Thomas, raised Knut and taught him. (What a sacrifice to provide around the clock care of Knut for months and months!) Knut quickly became very popular and his story raised awareness for the plight of polar bears in the wild.
February 6, 2010
This polar bear puppet ties in nicely with the story ...
http://store.barefootbooks.com/polar-...
http://store.barefootbooks.com/polar-...
January 28, 2021
Adorable real life photos accompany this true life story of the man who became caretaker for the sweet baby polar bear whose mother wasn’t able to care for him. Bear keeper at Zoo Berlin, Thomas Dorflein saved the baby polar bear when a baby polar bear abandoned by its mother would normally have died. The keeper and cub form a loving bonded pair as they fight for Knut’s survival with odds against them. The story also reminds us of the shrinking of the Arctic ice caps due to global warming and warns us to take note of the carbon imprint humans are leaving every moment. It suggests how we can stand up for polar bears who may go extinct in our lifetime if we continue to erode their habitat. Powerful message delivered by an absolutely adorable polar bear cub and his human dad/mom.
March 5, 2020
This board book introduces Knut the baby polar bear.
Back in 2007, a baby polar bear named Knut at the Berlin Zoo became international news due to both cuteness and controversy. This board book contains several photos of Knut accompanied by short, somewhat stilted text.
The photographs of Knut are cute but not the best. Better ones must have been too expensive to license.
Knut’s trainer/caretaker is also included in the book but in a rather superfluous way. I would have preferred the photos and text to focus solely on Knut or to feature more meaningful interactions between Knut and Thomas than the ones pictured and described.
Back in 2007, a baby polar bear named Knut at the Berlin Zoo became international news due to both cuteness and controversy. This board book contains several photos of Knut accompanied by short, somewhat stilted text.
The photographs of Knut are cute but not the best. Better ones must have been too expensive to license.
Knut’s trainer/caretaker is also included in the book but in a rather superfluous way. I would have preferred the photos and text to focus solely on Knut or to feature more meaningful interactions between Knut and Thomas than the ones pictured and described.
June 18, 2025
I Googled to see what happened to Knut since this book was written and was sad to see that he drowned in 2011 after having seizures. 😭 I really liked reading about the bond between Knut and his handler.
December 18, 2025
This non-fiction book shares information about Knut the polar bear and his early life at Zoo Berlin. It's a very informative book, but lengthy and wordy. The pictures of Knut are a highlight as was learning about his bond with Thomas.
December 12, 2018
Animal Biography, 2007.
This is a sweet story about Knut the polar bear and his keeper. I think this would be a great book to read before a zoo field trip, or as a part of thematic teaching.
This is a sweet story about Knut the polar bear and his keeper. I think this would be a great book to read before a zoo field trip, or as a part of thematic teaching.
June 19, 2019
Adorable photographs accompanied by lengthy text. My child enjoyed this book, but it wasn't a fave (especially when so many similar books are also available).
November 20, 2019
4 stars copyright 2007 genre information theme caring. Favorite part of the book was seeing Knut grow. I will use this book in my future classroom to start the day off with a positive tone.
November 20, 2019
Published in 2007.
This book really exemplifies the connection humans and animals can have. I would chose this book as read aloud book, and have it available for my students to read independently.
This book really exemplifies the connection humans and animals can have. I would chose this book as read aloud book, and have it available for my students to read independently.
August 28, 2020
Soren’s first school library book
August 30, 2020
Cute book about Knut and it’s human care-taker Thomas. Makes me wish we had a zoo in Ocala to visit.
January 27, 2016
I've seen this book on the library shelf many times and just walked by it. However, last week, my daughter saw it and put it in her library bag. I am so glad that she did! It is a great book and it illicited so many questions from my 5 year old (Why are polar bears dying? Why don't they have so many places to live anymore? Why are people so mean? What can I do?) More importantly, it made her feel. She felt happy for Knut. She felt angry that people are destroying our Earth. She felt joy as she looked at the pictures. She felt sadness as she thought about how polar bears are becoming endangered animals. While I hate to see those looks of distress on her precious, little face, I love that a book like this can make her feel so deeply for an animal she's never met and for a world that she so desperately wants to help. That's what books are all about - the way they make you feel when you're done reading them.
April 25, 2016
This is an informative book on a little polar bear name Knut who had a very tough life but was able to survive and live due to the help of doctors and the chief bear keeper, Andre Schule. Knut is a miracle and his story is amazing! I love how this book stays true to the facts of this little polar bear and how it includes actual photographs of him. This polar bear is so small and I like how you can see how small it is through the pictures. This book is great because it also includes facts about polars bears such as how they look, what they eat, family time, and where they live. It also mentions the threats to polar bears and includes a map. At the end of the book it mentions ways you can help polar bears stay safe.
October 22, 2007
The authors of bestseller Owen & Mzee tell the story of a baby polar bear born at Zoo Berlin and hand-raised by bear keeper Thomas Dorflein. Large, crisp, color photographs of the adorable little bear will spark the interest of young animal-lovers and the straightforward narrative of all Thomas had to do to ensure Knut’s health and well-being will maintain interest. More information about polar bears, including appearance, diet, habitat and range and mother bears’ habits are given in an appendix, along with a page on how the Arctic’s changing climate is a threat to polar bears and ways readers can help. This is a good title for putting a face to the topic of animal conservation.
March 18, 2011
Just like the books on Owen and Mzee, this book is about a real animal and the hard times he has gone through. The book style is very similar and it has real life pictures to illustrate the book. I think it is captivating to me as an adult and would definitely capture the attention of young students. It really shows how people/ animals can overcome a hard time to become happy and find someone to love him/her.
October 17, 2012
This was a story about a polar bear in Berlin that was rejected by his mothers. The zoo keepers then cared for the baby polar bear until he was able to survive on his own. I think this book is intended for all ages. It was a great fit because it takes about an endangered animal that you often get to see in the zoo but you never really know how they got there. I would use this in a science class when we are talking about endangered species!
October 17, 2012
This is a cute little story and I love the way it is written in simple terms. Knut was born in a zoo and his mother did not take care of him (which the book states is common in the wild) Knut was adopted by Thomas who worked at the Berlin Zoo. With his help Knut survived and thrived. This polar bear is just so cute I want to hug him like a stuffed animal!!! Good late elementary school non fiction!!!
July 6, 2015
Too wordy for my 3-year-old to fully appreciate, but I certainly enjoyed learning more about Knut's early days and the close bond that he developed with zookeeper Thomas. Although this is far from Knut's full story and a brief preface or epilogue covering the rest of his life in later editions would have been enlightening, it's a satisfying kid-friendly condensation that ties in useful information about polar bears and the difficulties that they face in today's world.
September 22, 2011
Information/Biography - 2007 I was drawn to this book after falling in love with Owen and Mzee. Knut tells the story of Thomas (a zookeeper) and the polar bear cub (Knut) he rescues and raises. I am excited to share this with my students as I think they will be drawn to the story and real pictures included in the text.
June 10, 2012
Sonia: Knut is really cute! He is a baby polar bear and he doesn't scare anybody. And he doesn't eat anybody and he loves everybody!
Maddie: Everything. The pictures are beautiful. I like the panda bear, all kinds of bears, but this is my favorite kind of bears. But my favorite kind of bear is a polar bear.
Maddie: Everything. The pictures are beautiful. I like the panda bear, all kinds of bears, but this is my favorite kind of bears. But my favorite kind of bear is a polar bear.
January 29, 2009
This is an incredibly cute book, with incredibly cute pictures. (Literally) anyone who's a sucker for baby animals (particularly polar bears, in this case) will love this; it just happens to be a kids book. :)?
October 31, 2009
This is a great book! It is a true story about how a zookeeper saved a baby polar bear and the bond that the two developed as the baby polar bear, Knut, grew up. It is a non-fiction book but I would still consider it a picture book. The text would be difficult for younger kids to understand though.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews