Polar Bear Morning
As they did in Polar Bear Night (2004), Thompson and Savage tell the story of an adventurous cub leaving the safety of her mother’s den to explore the Arctic. This time the cub meets another, and the pair jaunt about, tumbling and racing among the gulls and seals and walruses who share their home. Thompson’s poetic language, crisp and tender all at once (“High above, the seagulls whirl on the wind, calling”), paints a picture of icy, innocent tranquility, unveiling the cubs’ friendship in sweet, simple gestures. Savage restrains his graphic, textural linocut illustrations with subdued palettes of blues and grays, with never more than a few colors per spread, reservedly introducing a contrasting pink or orange to emphasize the warmth of the new friendship. A variety of perspectives, with long, low horizons and bird’s-eye vistas, suggests the space and the quiet. While this harmonious, winsome outing will work well for storytimes, it will also find its way to repeated at-home readings.      HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY:    Polar Bear Night was a New York Times best-seller and a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book. This one will be on everyone’s radar. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Thom Barthelmess