Polar Animals

by Wade Cooper, Wade Cooper

Fabulous photographs, eye-catching design, and simple rhyming text constitute this Level 1 reader about the fascinating lives of polar animals! Hardcovers, foil, and an unbeatable price!

"I'm a seal.
See my smooth skin.
My flippers help me
steer and swim."

Children learn about polar bears, penguins, walruses, arctic foxes, seals, and snow animals. The text is written in easy-to-read rhymes and is illustrated with irresistible photographs. Three pages of fun learning activities are designed to both challenge and entertain new readers.

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Science, Christmas

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2007

Reviews

[Arminzerella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Features 6 polar animals, but with uneven treatment. Polar bears and penguins get the most press (several pages of photos and information). Rhyming text that often doesn't add anything to the information provided. Photos are detailed, but some are poorly placed and interesting bits fall into the gutter. Could be better.

[Jean O'Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polar Animals is a non-fiction book introducing animals that live in some of the harshest conditions on earth. The book is designed for beginning readers and includes guidance for adult reading support. It bills itself as a Scholastic Level 1 Reader.

The book is comprised of beautiful color photos of animals in their natural habitat. The text is large and displayed in high contrast on the page. The last page highlights 42 sight words that occur in the story. The font of the primary story line resembles handwriting (Comic Sans “I am a seal”) which is familiar. However, the editor was not consistent. All text for adults and the body part insets on the page are in a different font (Times New Roman “tail”). For a beginning reader/decoder, a change in the font can present a challenge. The “a”, in particular, is quite different. In addition, while this is a very attractive book with “simple words and “short sentences”, I am unsure I would recommend it to a “beginning” beginning reader without reviewing how Scholastic defines their levels. Most sentences have eight or less words. However, the photos do not necessarily correspond directly with the text and I would expect more direct alignment with any Level 1 reader.

Interest Level:
Pre-K-3
Age:
4-8
Genre:
General Nonfiction
Subject:
Animals

Children learn about polar bears, penguins, walruses, artic foxes, seals, and snow animals. The text is written in easy-to-read rhymes and is illustrated with irresistible photographs. Three pages of fun learning activities are designed to both challenge and entertain new readers. (from scholastic.com)

[babyhippoface · Rating 3 out of 5]

Different nocturnal animals are introduced in this Scholastic Level 2 title, which has much to offer beginning readers--simple, rhyming text, sharp color photos, a small photo glossary, a self-check quiz, “Did You Know” insets with extra information, and a page encouraging readers to use simple words in sentences. Parents will appreciate the section titled “Reading Together,” which contains excellent ideas for helping children read and understand the text. Though the page on kangaroos features poorly-written text that does not rhyme, this is still a solid choice for libraries wishing to expand their early reader section.

[Emily Bernd · Rating 4 out of 5]

These nonfiction easy readers are great for students who love nonfiction. They are full with pictures and fun facts about, in this particular book, polar bears. They are great books to have on your shelves.

[Kaethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book full of adorable pictures and little bits about polar critters. The bits are meh, but the pictures are cuter than anything.