From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 1–With comforting, carefully chosen words and soft pastels shading linocut prints, this book has all the elements to make it a bedtime favorite. A polar bear cub leaves the security of her warm den to discover something special out in the cold arctic air. The words "The night is keen and cold" have both a visceral and riveting effect. The choice of colors for each page establishes the mood; as the little cub sets off into snow she finds a world shaded in pink and violet, with a deep black/green sky. The comfort is reinforced at the sight of the sleeping animals she encounters, and the repetition of phrases ("She sees the seals…. She sees the whales") keeps the rhythm going. Sharp edges pair easily with soft colors as the drama of the cub's outing builds to the climax of falling stars that light up the sky, the sea, and the animals. In fact, "They light up everything the little bear loves." When the stars stop falling, she's ready to go back home to her mother's "soft, warm fur." A successful and satisfying combination of adventure and bedtime story.–Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From Booklist
*Starred Review* PreS-K. Joining Henkes' Kitten's First Full Moon [BKL F 1 04] and Mo Willems' pigeon duet is another graphically minimalist yet utterly effective picture book for the very young. "Snug inside her warm den, a polar bear cub wakes. Something in the moonlit stillness quietly beckons. What is it?" The tug of this gentle mystery will draw children into Thompson's simple bedtime story, and the hypnotic ebb and flow of her alliterative lines (on a night that's "keen and cold," little cub "sets out for the snow and sky and sea and ice") will keep children immersed as the young explorer encounters floating, dreaming sea creatures, and witnesses a meteor shower that further transforms the already exotic nighttime surroundings. As arresting as Thompson's language are Savage's powerful linocuts, which beautifully reference the textures and forms of Inuit stone carvings and evoke the arctic landscape in a few elemental colors per spread: glacial blues, grays, and sea greens; the pinks and lavenders of the aurora borealis. Like Henkes' kitten and Willems' pigeon, little cub harks back to an earlier, more technologically constrained era of bookmaking, when enduring classics were born of well-honed writing and thoughtful design rather than easy, glitzy effects. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


The New York Times
"One of the ten best illustrated children's books of 2004".


The New York Times
"The stylized simplicity of Savage's illustrations reflects both the solace of night and the fellowship of nature."


Book Description
One keen, clear night, a polar bear cub wakes inside her warm den. Something in the moonlit stillness quietly beckons. What is it?The little cub sets out for the snow and sky and sea and ice, and the moon follows.So begins a magical journey through a starlit world filled with love and wonder. Soothing words and luminous pictures make this nighttime tale as comforting as a goodnight kiss.



About the Author
ILLUSTRATOR: Stephen Savage is the author and illustrator of two pop-up books, Animals Undercover and Making Tracks: A Slide-and-See Book. He also creates illustrations for a wide range of publications, including the New Yorker, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, The Wall Street Journal and Vibe. He teaches illustration at the School of Visual Art in New York City.

ANNOTATION

After wandering out at night to watch a magical star shower, a polar bear cub returns home to snuggle with her mother in their warm den.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

After wandering out at night to watch a magical star shower, a polar bear cub returns home to snuggle with her mother in their warm den.

FROM THE CRITICS

New York Times

A bedtime book pulls off the difficult task of making darkness and silence seem comforting, not scary.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for a bedtime story is to teach children that darkness can be a friend. Polar Bear Night meets that challenge.

Polar Bear Night embraces darkness and silence. The stylized simplicity of Savage's illustrations reflects both the solace of night and the fellowship of nature.

Polar Bear Night celebrates these valuable gifts and offers us yet one more, embodied in its final word: "home."

Publishers Weekly

In Savage's striking compositions, a night lit by dazzling moonglow on "snow and sky and sea and ice" wakens a polar bear cub to a special adventure. Not knowing why she was somehow roused from sleep, where she lay next to her "warm, soft mother" in their den, the cub treks softly across the snow until she reaches a high drift. There, the cub witnesses a glittering star shower: "The stars are like snowflakes, falling, falling." After the natural light show, the cub heads back home and again snuggles into the warmth of her sleeping mother. Thompson's (Little Quack) phrasing emits a fittingly hushed quality and conveys a sense of wide-eyed wonder. Her nighttime Arctic imagery and soft repetition create a pleasingly soporific effect. Savage's (Making Tracks) crisp linocuts in a medley of icy bright blues, whites and purples and blacks contribute to a chilly yet soothing nocturnal landscape. The large shapes and frequent up-close perspective draw readers into the proceedings, while the rounded forms and friendly faces of various animals provide reassurance for the cuddly-looking cub in her wanderings. In Savage's velvety spreads, the darkness is quietly beautiful and never ominous. Ages 3-5. (Oct.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

If you are getting tired of reading Good Night Moon, you might want to try this book as a soothing bed time read. A young polar bear cub leaves his mother and their warm den to explore the moonlit night. She sees a walrus asleep; seals like floating statues are asleep in the water; and whales that are sleeping but still swimming. As the cub travels she finally sees a glorious sight—a star shower. It wakes all of the sleeping animals and after she experiences the quiet beauty of a polar night, the little cub heads back to the cozy warmth of mother and their den. The linocuts are set on papers that reflect the cold of this northern region—blues, grays, tans, and dark greens but they have a wonderful texture. The mulberry bleached rice paper makes many of the scenes look like snowflakes are falling. It is a quiet, simple, gentle story, perfectly suited for snuggling up with your own little one just before a nap or settling down for the night. 2004, Scholastic, Ages 1 to 3.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-With comforting, carefully chosen words and soft pastels shading linocut prints, this book has all the elements to make it a bedtime favorite. A polar bear cub leaves the security of her warm den to discover something special out in the cold arctic air. The words "The night is keen and cold" have both a visceral and riveting effect. The choice of colors for each page establishes the mood; as the little cub sets off into snow she finds a world shaded in pink and violet, with a deep black/green sky. The comfort is reinforced at the sight of the sleeping animals she encounters, and the repetition of phrases ("She sees the seals-. She sees the whales") keeps the rhythm going. Sharp edges pair easily with soft colors as the drama of the cub's outing builds to the climax of falling stars that light up the sky, the sea, and the animals. In fact, "They light up everything the little bear loves." When the stars stop falling, she's ready to go back home to her mother's "soft, warm fur." A successful and satisfying combination of adventure and bedtime story.-Jane Marino, Bronxville Public Library, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Matt Warner