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Nanuk the Ice Bear
Experience Arctic chills and warm hugs in this nonfiction picture book about a loving polar bear family from acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter.
At the top of the world, Nanuk the ice bear hunts for food, meets a mate, and hibernates through the winter with her newborn cubs. When spring arrives, Nanuk teaches her beloved cubs how to hunt and swim and survive in the arctic. This new picture book by acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter is a stunning portrait of a loving polar bear family with a subtle environmental message.
At the top of the world, Nanuk the ice bear hunts for food, meets a mate, and hibernates through the winter with her newborn cubs. When spring arrives, Nanuk teaches her beloved cubs how to hunt and swim and survive in the arctic. This new picture book by acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter is a stunning portrait of a loving polar bear family with a subtle environmental message.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
April 1, 2020
Nanuk the Ice Bear lived in the wintry world of the arctic, hunting on the frozen ice and in the chilly waters. When she met another polar bear, the two began a dance of courtship that ended with two new bear cubs coming into the world. Nanuk taught her cubs all the skills they would need to survive, from hunting to swimming. But one thing she couldn't teach them was what to do about the shrinking ice and the rising sea. She could only dream of snow, and of living in her quiet world of white ice and freezing cold...
The newest offering from children's author/artist Jeanette Winter, whose many outstanding picture-books include such titles as Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa and The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps , Nanuk the Ice Bear pairs a simple story - one sentence per page - with lovely artwork in purple and blue shades that perfectly capture the chilly world being depicted. The theme of climate change is worked into the text, which focuses primarily on Nanuk herself, and conveys its ecological message with little overt fanfare. Although not as strong a book as some of Winter's others - I am particularly fond of some of her picture-book biographies - this is still an engaging tale, one which will draw young children's attention to an important issue, and lead them to consider the impact of climate change on the creatures of the wild.
The newest offering from children's author/artist Jeanette Winter, whose many outstanding picture-books include such titles as Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa and The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps , Nanuk the Ice Bear pairs a simple story - one sentence per page - with lovely artwork in purple and blue shades that perfectly capture the chilly world being depicted. The theme of climate change is worked into the text, which focuses primarily on Nanuk herself, and conveys its ecological message with little overt fanfare. Although not as strong a book as some of Winter's others - I am particularly fond of some of her picture-book biographies - this is still an engaging tale, one which will draw young children's attention to an important issue, and lead them to consider the impact of climate change on the creatures of the wild.
August 21, 2016
Don't you love it when people work in political agendas and fear into children's books!
October 1, 2018
So beautiful one can almost forget that it's educational. Too bad the pictures and text are so small that it can't be shared in a classroom or story-time setting.
October 18, 2022
Nanuk the Ice Bear is a Trojan Bear of a story that has come to invade your home in the hopes that you will find it cute and adorably provide it to your young readers.
This attack starts early and can be viewed as such by reading the GR's description, which states: Experience Arctic chills and warm hugs in this nonfiction picture book about a loving polar bear family from acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter. Firstly there is no way that this book is nonfiction nor does it have any particular bear family in mind that has ever existed before as the
reader's vehicle into the actual realm of ice bears.
Secondly the concept about this book being a book about a polar bear family is also a bit ridiculous. We are introduced to the female protagonist Nanuk who is named after the Master of Bears as she follows the snow from the "top of the world" down into polar bear life. She only meets another ice bear thirteen pages into the story (she goes after him, not the usual method of meeting up polar bears) and he leaves a few pages after that. Twenty-three pages into the story are we finally introduced to the polar bear family mentioned in that description and their story is much condensed to ten pages to get in a few years worth of reading before Nanuk is left on her own again.
Instead the story is more focused towards the light rising water on the pages, which I didn't notice upon first reading this book. And then in repeating the lesson of global warming that is ensuring Nanuk will no longer have any young bears since of the changing world of rising water and no ice thus giving her nowhere to hunt. All of this is finished off with her stranded on a single rock with water all around as she dreams of life before the evil humans and/or climate got in the way.
What make this a rather strange book to me is the heavy symbolism used throughout. For the top of the world the author refers to a mountaintop and then uses falling snow to make glaciers in probably the most simplified explanation of glacier-making I have ever seen. Otherwise the rest of the illustrations are in very low color scheme that focuses on blending the colors of the frozen world along with the sea with only a few splashes of bright color imparted from the sun.
In the end it would make for a cute story that is a very brief telling of what it may be like for polar bears to survive in their home although not really informatively factual. Otherwise there are plenty of good books out there about polar bears if you would like something with a bit more meat to its telling.
This attack starts early and can be viewed as such by reading the GR's description, which states: Experience Arctic chills and warm hugs in this nonfiction picture book about a loving polar bear family from acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter. Firstly there is no way that this book is nonfiction nor does it have any particular bear family in mind that has ever existed before as the
reader's vehicle into the actual realm of ice bears.
Secondly the concept about this book being a book about a polar bear family is also a bit ridiculous. We are introduced to the female protagonist Nanuk who is named after the Master of Bears as she follows the snow from the "top of the world" down into polar bear life. She only meets another ice bear thirteen pages into the story (she goes after him, not the usual method of meeting up polar bears) and he leaves a few pages after that. Twenty-three pages into the story are we finally introduced to the polar bear family mentioned in that description and their story is much condensed to ten pages to get in a few years worth of reading before Nanuk is left on her own again.
Instead the story is more focused towards the light rising water on the pages, which I didn't notice upon first reading this book. And then in repeating the lesson of global warming that is ensuring Nanuk will no longer have any young bears since of the changing world of rising water and no ice thus giving her nowhere to hunt. All of this is finished off with her stranded on a single rock with water all around as she dreams of life before the evil humans and/or climate got in the way.
What make this a rather strange book to me is the heavy symbolism used throughout. For the top of the world the author refers to a mountaintop and then uses falling snow to make glaciers in probably the most simplified explanation of glacier-making I have ever seen. Otherwise the rest of the illustrations are in very low color scheme that focuses on blending the colors of the frozen world along with the sea with only a few splashes of bright color imparted from the sun.
In the end it would make for a cute story that is a very brief telling of what it may be like for polar bears to survive in their home although not really informatively factual. Otherwise there are plenty of good books out there about polar bears if you would like something with a bit more meat to its telling.
December 26, 2016
Each page a postcard in the blues, pinks and purple hues plus the stark white of snow and ice of the Arctic, where polar bears live. Jeannette Winter’s story takes a bear through her year alone, finding a mate, then hibernating and having two cubs. Finally she and the cubs come up out of the cave, and she begins to teach them how to survive. It comes full circle because in the end, the female is alone, to start again. This time, however, there is little ice, and the story ends with a stark picture depicting the effects of global warming. It’s a lovely book to “see”, and shows the basics of a polar bear’s cycle, but giving a sad message in a book that seems as if it’s for young children seems inappropriate to me. I was surprised.
October 19, 2016
2 stars off for the global warming propaganda.
November 21, 2022
Pretty depressing for a children’s storybook
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December 19, 2018Experience Arctic chills and warm hugs in this picture book about a loving polar bear family. At the top of the world, Nanuk the ice bear hunts for food, meets a mate, and hibernates through the winter with her newborn cubs. When spring arrives, Nanuk teaches her beloved cubs how to hunt and swim and survive in the arctic. This new picture book by acclaimed author-illustrator Jeanette Winter is a stunning portrait of a loving polar bear family with a subtle environmental message.
Subject: Polar bear -- Juvenile fiction.
Note: I am not fond of the size of the font.
Subject: Polar bear -- Juvenile fiction.
Note: I am not fond of the size of the font.
May 3, 2025
Narrative NF best guess for this one but no back matter, only 2 further readings about polar bears and global warming book copyright 2015
So adore her illustration style, the pastel palette. Nanuk goes thru a year in life, hunting, finding a mate, her winter den and birth of cubs, teaching them to hunt and survive until they go off in their own and Nanuk dreams for more ice and snow, not warm waters and rising seas.
So adore her illustration style, the pastel palette. Nanuk goes thru a year in life, hunting, finding a mate, her winter den and birth of cubs, teaching them to hunt and survive until they go off in their own and Nanuk dreams for more ice and snow, not warm waters and rising seas.
January 8, 2026
I’m all for encouraging kids to understand the realities of our world. However, this felt a bit pushy on the climate change problem, in that it was distracting from the story and really an adult issue. Illustrations nice but small.
February 26, 2018
The bear hunts for food. Then she meets a mate, they have babies. She raises the babies, then teaches the cubs to hunt and fish. etc. Cute story.
April 3, 2018
I liked that it included a description and illustration of the mother polar bear hibernating through the winter when her cubs are born.
January 25, 2020
A quiet story about an ice bear and how she lives her life in the far north. But life is changing for her because the ice is melting due to global warming. Nicely illustrated.
March 9, 2021
Excellent book!
September 8, 2021
Sweetest book about global warming I have read yet.
March 12, 2023
We really enjoyed this. We liked how the illustrations were done and the message about climate change.
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September 11, 2025Preschool
September 26, 2016
Sweet and soft illustrations follow a female polar bear as she hunts, has cubs, and survives in the Arctic while global warming melts her home.
July 14, 2016
Nanuk the Ice Bear – written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter, Simon & Schuster, (9781481446679), 2016.
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 1-5: 5
Genre: Picture Book
What did you like about the book?
This poignant picture book about a female polar bear in the frozen north illustrates the polar bear's life cycle while simultaneously raising consciousness about global warming. Nanuk, a female polar bear, breaks from her solitude to mate and raise two cubs before returning to her solitary life. But “… the quiet white world is changing,” and now it is only in her dreams that Nanuk finds cold enough conditions for her to mate and raise young again. This quiet thoughtful book contains just the right mix of pictures and text to make an outstanding read-aloud. Perceptive readers may notice the symbolic melting of polar ice as the background water level rises throughout the story from barely covering the bottom at the beginning to filling the page at the end. Guaranteed to raise questions about why Nanuk’s world is changing, this is a heartfelt call to action cloaked in lovely pastel colors and pensive text.
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 1-5: 5
Genre: Picture Book
What did you like about the book?
This poignant picture book about a female polar bear in the frozen north illustrates the polar bear's life cycle while simultaneously raising consciousness about global warming. Nanuk, a female polar bear, breaks from her solitude to mate and raise two cubs before returning to her solitary life. But “… the quiet white world is changing,” and now it is only in her dreams that Nanuk finds cold enough conditions for her to mate and raise young again. This quiet thoughtful book contains just the right mix of pictures and text to make an outstanding read-aloud. Perceptive readers may notice the symbolic melting of polar ice as the background water level rises throughout the story from barely covering the bottom at the beginning to filling the page at the end. Guaranteed to raise questions about why Nanuk’s world is changing, this is a heartfelt call to action cloaked in lovely pastel colors and pensive text.
May 27, 2016
Unassuming yet captivating illustrations set the mood in this picture book about a polar bear’s life. Each page is adorned with a bottom border of waves, which incrementally rise as the story continues, and the color scheme changes from pale blues to varying shades of purples and pinks. The action of the story takes place in center frames bordered in white and captures the isolation and beauty of this harsh environment.The story chronicles Nanuk’s life and her becoming a mother to two cubs. With interesting details about hunting habits and the creation of winter dens, the book is sure to please curious young readers. The ending includes a definite warning about climate change and offers some further reading on the topic. Winter has created a restful and beautifully illustrated book about polar bears. VERDICT: A sweet and mellow read that will have a large audience with its spare text and simple yet endearing illustrations.–Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI (School Library Journal January 1, 2016)
March 26, 2016
A read aloud friendly title that takes readers through the life of a polar bear and then uses the changing conditions of the Arctic to inspire young readers to take care of planet Earth so that polar bears will not be negatively impacted by climate change.
I really appreciated the pacing of the story in that the message is well placed after the reader has spent time "living" with the polar bears and are ready to hear how climate change is effecting polar bears. The text is simple enough for reading aloud with audiences and the message is so simply put as to encourage thoughtful discussion even in the youngest listeners.
PreK-2.
I really appreciated the pacing of the story in that the message is well placed after the reader has spent time "living" with the polar bears and are ready to hear how climate change is effecting polar bears. The text is simple enough for reading aloud with audiences and the message is so simply put as to encourage thoughtful discussion even in the youngest listeners.
PreK-2.
June 28, 2016
An enjoyable, and informative, story about polar bears (called ice bears in this story). The illustrations were very well done and went along with the story line very well. I appreciated how the life of the ice bears were illustrated and how, at the end, climate change was -sort of- introduced. I feel as though there could have been a little bit better clarification regarding the climate change, possibly mentioning within the story exactly what was happening instead of merely alluding to it; as most children who read this book may not have been exposed to climate change information previously.
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March 15, 2016
This is a charming nonfiction book that shows us a year in the life of a polar bear. Nanuk hunts, swims, mates (appropriately, of course!), raises cubs, and worries as they go off on their own. The illustrations, which are framed in the center of each page, are lovely. My favorite shows Nanuk snuggled below ground during the dark winter, welcoming her two tiny cubs into the world. There are some references listed for further reading about polar bears and global warming. This book would be a good starting point for research on either of these two topics.
January 18, 2016
In a gentle narrative, readers follow a mother polar bear for several years as she raises then releases them to their own lives in the cold north.
Soft colors help set the tone for the icy north setting. Each page set in a frame against a rising sea level, which colors vary from page to page. Simple illustrations, but enough detail to help inform the reader. Text set in easy to read font against solid colors.
Soft colors help set the tone for the icy north setting. Each page set in a frame against a rising sea level, which colors vary from page to page. Simple illustrations, but enough detail to help inform the reader. Text set in easy to read font against solid colors.
April 8, 2016
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It is a quiet and calming story, with beautiful little illustrations depicting the life of the female polar bear, Nanuk. It is also a tale of the effects of global warming on polar bears and their environment. As the story continues each page takes on more and more water, until the entire background is full. An excellent picture book and non fiction crossover.
April 28, 2016
This simple and lovely tale of a polar bear's life is a great introduction to polar bears for even the littlest of readers. I appreciated that the author did not shy away from the environmental perils that the polar bears face as the seas continue to warm and the ice caps continue to melt. In many ways she opened the door for more discussion, research, and let's hope, the creation of little activists who will help secure a better future for these creatures and their ice world.
June 8, 2016
Nanuk: The Ice Bear is a nicely illustrated book that tells of the factual lifecycle of an Arctic polar bear and her family, but also tucks in a brief lesson regarding global warming and climate change. The pictures, while nice, have a slightly benign quality, not revealing much in the way of character, but are evocative of place and atmosphere. Meant for the youngest readers, this book provides teaching moments about one aspect of the natural world.
December 15, 2016
I saw this book as I was searching for The Velveteen Rabbit at my library. Since I love polar bears, I decided to pick up this book, too. Who cares if I am a 30-something adult reading a children's picture book? I thought the illustrations are cute. The storyline is cute but also warns about the dangers of climate change to the polar bears.
January 30, 2016
Mesmerizing illustrations by Jeanette Winter, elemental and rich. The story is also elemental and rich, following the life of a polar bear, with the end introducing the effect global warming is having on polar bears (without naming it).
July 24, 2019
Beautiful muted colors enhance this story of Nanuk The Ice Bear. We follow her as she hunts for food, finds a mate and has her babies. But, Nanuk is worried about her future. This is a gentle way for kids to begin to understand the dilemma of global warming and its effect on polar bears.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews