Product Description

While polar bears and climate change are making front page news in the real world, it is up to Riley and family to visit the Arctic Circle to reveal the plight of the polar bear from a child's perspective. Part of the multiple award-winning Adventures of Riley children's picture book series, Polar Bear Puzzle features a tense plot, amazing mixed-media visuals and cutting-edge science provided by leading scientists!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #983940 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 36 pages

From Booklist
The books in the Adventures of Riley series are always a mishmash—a jumble of story, facts, photos, and drawings. This entry is no exception. Riley and family fly to Canada, where polar bears are having trouble finding food. There’s quite a bit of information about how the bears, which often wander into town, are captured, tagged, and examined. The plight of polar bears vis-à-vis global warming is discussed throughout, but the answer to the obvious question of what people can do to help save the bears is flabby and only a few lines long: everyone should work together to stop rising temperatures, recycle, and use less energy. As with other books in the series, though, this still brings the adventure close. Grades K-3. --Ilene Cooper

Customer Reviews

Important message
Reviewed by Leslie Granier and Nicholas Lopez (age 5) for Reader Views (12/07)

This book tells the story of how the number of polar bears is decreasing due to increased temperatures on the Earth's surface. Riley, a nine-year-old boy, travels to Canada to visit his uncle who does whatever he can to help the polar bears, including giving them medical checkups. During this trip, Riley learns the importance of people doing whatever they can to stop global warming so as not to endanger polar bears and other species that rely on cold temperatures and ice formation for their survival.

The cover of the book indicates it is suited for age four to eight. Nicholas, who is five-years-old, really did not understand many of the concepts. He could not see how recycling a newspaper can help save the polar bears. He thought it was "scary that Riley got so close to the mean, hungry bear," but "it was nice he wanted to help him find food."

There are many interesting facts presented by scientists and members of ecological groups throughout "Adventures of Riley: Polar Bear Puzzle." I think older children (8-11) will be more interested in this book's content because they have some scientific background and can relate more to cause and effect. They are also better able to organize recycling projects and influence their parents and other adults to change their harmful habits and develop ways that are safer for all life forms. The story has an important message for people of all ages and should be utilized in classrooms to help the next generation become more aware of possible problems that may arise in the future.

Great adventure
My 10 year old and I both enjoyed this book. We had gone to see the polar bears in Churchill a few years ago. Accurate facts and pictures. A fun way to learn about the bears, the region, and the enviornment.

Great book for 3-10 year olds
Polar Bear Puzzle is a great addition to the other Adventures of Riley books. I have had the pleasure of meeting the author and illustrator and am very impressed with the clever illustrations that combine real photos with the drawn characters. Our grandchildren love the book. I especially appreciate the inserts that give facts on each page. The kids all seem enthralled with the story and information. It is a great combo of story and informational text.