Life In The Polar Lands

Student Book

The Arctic is the ground zero of climate change, and the polar bear is on the front line. Filled with groundbreaking photography that reveals the breathtaking landscapes of the Arctic and the transformations of the environment through the changing lives of polar bears, it's a firsthand report from the top of our planet. Polar Tales tells the story of an ice world in transformation and a planet nearing its tipping point--the moment when Earth's climate begins to change irreversibly. This book is both a celebration of the wildlife that inhabits this most unforgiving and beautiful environment imaginable--mountains, fjords, enormous glaciers, and the seemingly endless pack ice of the Arctic Ocean--and a cautionary tale of global warming. Rising temperatures have put the Arctic at risk, and the habitats--and lives--of the animals there are increasingly threatened. Set against the dramatic landscape of ice floes and ragged mountains, readers see how polar bears, foxes, seals, walruses, and reindeer now struggle to live in this vulnerable climate. Images of a polar bear mother as she takes her newborns out for their first hunt, a seal pup only hours old, and the spectacle of the polar night are reminders of what is at risk. The authors work like no other photographers: spending months in the field on their expeditions, they live among the polar bears, establishing an uneasy balance and unprecedented access to the world of the kings of the Arctic. Readers are rewarded with unique and stirring images that capture the harsh beauty of a world that few will experience firsthand.

Although they are deceptively stark, the world's Polar Regions support a surprisingly diverse range of wildlife. Life Cycles: Polar Lands by Sean Callery explores how ten of these creatures from both poles—including the arctic fox, the polar bear, the ringed seal, and the arctic tern—are all interrelated in three polar food chains. Along with a clear explanation of each lifecycle, the book highlights three key facts about each animal, and color-codes the food-chains for easy navigation. The beautiful photography, accessible design, and age appropriate writing make this the perfect introduction to understanding the delicate balance of this extreme and environmentally sensitive habitat.

Describes how humans, plants, and animals survive at the North and South Poles, the effect of human industrial activity on the polar landscapes, and how changes in the world's weather patterns affect the Poles.

Large photographs of life and landscapes in the polar regions.

Text and photographs introduce the polar region biome, describing its environment, plants, and animals including polar bears, seals, penguins, and arctic foxes.

Suitable grades 4-8.