Hello Arctic! by Theodore Taylor Illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine

from goodreads

3.5 stars

Well, Easter weekend has come and gone. This morning I had to wake up and make lunches and make sure mailbags were found. I think I am ready for summer vacation! Sometimes you just want to be on a holiday schedule and not have to worry about the hustle and bustle of "real life". Oh well. I did enjoy this teaser holiday. We made some fun family memories and I was able to provide service to other family members. It is so nice when you can feel useful and what you did really mattered and contributed to another's happiness. I hope your Easter weekend was fabulous and that you are able to ease back into "real life".

Synopsis

This book takes you on a journey through the arctic's seasons. You experience the cold monotone of winter and then the vibrant brightness of summer.

My Thoughts

While this book is simplistic in language, which makes it great for little kids, this was a delightful read. When you think of the arctic quite often you think of the bleak winter snow times and forget that in the summer the tundra is full of colour and flowers and life. It is not a barren landscape at all. The simple words combined with the simple drawings were quite effective in teaching the differences of seasons and showing the range of wildlife that the arctic has to offer.

The book was a bit confusing in the way that Taylor organized and introduced and then said goodbye to the animals. He introduced each animal by saying "Birds return. Hello, birds." or something to that effect. And there were quite a few animals such as polar bears, seals, an assortment of whales etc. When winter is coming and the animals go away there is not that feeling of progression that you felt earlier. It is basically goodbye birds and polar bears and that's it. What about the seals and whales? It just felt abrupt and did not have the symmetry that is often in children's books of this nature. It had a nice steady incline and then you fall off a cliff.

The book does capture the beauty of the arctic and makes me want to visit there. Perhaps when my children are all grown my husband and I can go on a Northern adventure. For now, I am content to experience the north through books.