A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett (review)

Barnett, Mac A Polar Bear in the Snow; illus. by Shawn Harris. Candlewick, 2020 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781536203967 $17.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R 2-4 yrs

A polar bear in the snow is, unsurprisingly, hard to see, but eventually he emerges and heads out—to do what? It's not to visit the seals ("He is not hungry") or to slip into a cozy cave ("His fur protects him from the storm"), so what's he up to? It turns out he wants to dive into the ocean to play, turning somersaults in the undersea world as the fish gather 'round. As far as where he'll go when he gets out of the water, "Who knows?" This is a frosty little whimsy with enough of an edge, between the hint at reality for the seals and the bear's snarl at a human interloper, to be interesting, and Barnett deftly wields a tidy, P. D. Eastman–esque structure that immediately attracts listeners. The book's opening visuals draw on the titular joke, with the bear's black nose and eyes gradually emerging out of solid whiteness, but the art soon resolves into endearingly casual cut and torn paper collage. Layers of rough, grainy paper create snowdrifts as well as simply cut creatures, and touches of shadow and black pigment are almost the only contrast until the bear goes into a literal deep dive and everything, including the bear himself, turns into an inviting sky blue. Kids may wish for a slightly more concrete conclusion, but they'll nonetheless applaud the delightful bear behind as he walks off through the snow to his next important task.