{"id":529,"date":"2009-10-04T01:10:08","date_gmt":"2009-10-04T05:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amperzen.com\/blog\/?p=529"},"modified":"2009-10-04T01:10:08","modified_gmt":"2009-10-04T05:10:08","slug":"review-my-little-polar-bear-by-claudia-rueda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amperzen.com\/blog\/review-my-little-polar-bear-by-claudia-rueda\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: My Little Polar Bear by Claudia Rueda"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"My<\/a>My Little Polar Bear<\/strong> is written and illustrated by the author, Claudia Rueda. Published by Scholastic Press in hardcover with a dust jacket which has nice sparkles like falling snow everywhere but the words, the bears, and the snow. The book is aimed at 4-8 year olds. At that age they may be able to read it to themselves as the words are very simple and very, very few — many that repeat. However, it can be read to children much younger.<\/p>\n

There is no plot per se, the baby polar bear wants to know if he or she is a polar bear. The parent bear assures the child that indeed that’s what he\/she is — a polar bear. The inevitable “Why?” elicits a list of polar bear traits that the baby shares with polar bears. The child is concerned because she\/he doesn’t meet all those traits. It ends with the parent expressing an “I love you”. Simple affirmation of who you are and that you are loved for who you are–what all children should expect and receive–unqualified love. Just because you exist, you are loved.<\/p>\n

I can see reading this snuggled up with a young child, and can almost imagine the questions the parent will get about polar bears and why can’t “I” be a polar bear. Parents will understand how the simplest story or homily will and often does turn into a philosophical discussion preceded by “Why?”. But its simplicity makes it a good cuddle down with me for five minutes book.<\/p>\n

My only problem –and it’s a problem of my preferences in children’s art books–the art is very lovely in pale blues, white, and grey. I would have liked more contrast for young eyes. These older eyes prefer contrast too — while very stylistic and beautifully uncluttered I miss the contrast that could have been done with the dark sky of the winter polar region. But that’s only my preference.<\/p>\n

\"National<\/a>However, I do love polar bears and thought as long as I’m talking about polar bears, here’s the National Geographic site which has some polar bear wallpaper<\/a> that might just go along with the book, My Little Polar Bear<\/strong>. This particular photo shows what I mean about a stronger contrast between the blue and white–just saying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My Little Polar Bear is written and illustrated by the author, Claudia Rueda. Published by Scholastic Press in hardcover with a dust jacket which has nice sparkles like falling snow everywhere but the words, the bears, and the snow. The book is aimed at 4-8 year olds. At that age they may be able to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,12],"tags":[267,268],"class_list":["post-529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reading","category-review","tag-picture-book","tag-polar-bears"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t