No Place Like Home

June 14, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-Polar Bear George is a grump. He dislikes living in the city, where his house feels cramped, and he's surrounded by crowds. He knows the city isn't home, "but he had forgotten where home was." After testing out the jungle (sleeping in trees is no fun), a mountaintop (too high), the desert (too hot), and the sea (too nerve-wracking), George finally comes to "a strange white land." It's cold, icy, and perfect. After all his traveling, George is no longer grumpy, because he knows he's finally home. This gentle story about finding your place relies on simple, direct language and spare illustrations. Nicely textured digital art uses mostly blues and greens and looks appealing up close and from farther away. Illustrations combined with the straightforward plot make this a good book for storytime, and presents opportunities to talk about emotional and physiological feelings, including being hot, thirsty, or scared. VERDICT A good option for preschool storytime and general purchase.-Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, St. Paul Public Library

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2019
A polar bear is permanently out of sorts.George is forlorn; nothing gladdens his heart. He dislikes his house, and he can do without his current habitat--the city: unsuitable, too crowded. What's a bear to do when he wants to return home? George doesn't remember where that is, but he sets off anyway. He tries one place after another--the jungle, a mountain, the desert, and the sea. Each in turn has drawbacks, though George concedes the sea's OK given that he "like[s] being in the water." Still, George doesn't belong there either. After days of travel, he eventually reaches "a strange white land" that's "cold and covered with ice." George is home! This sweet story is predictable, but its reassuring ending will gratify nevertheless. Many youngsters will recognize from illustrations of ice floes, snow, frozen landscapes, and climatically appropriate wildlife (including another polar bear) that George's hunt has ended happily. The charming artwork is limited in palette to mostly blues and whites, with George's fur delineated by vertical white strokes. The various habitats he visits are depicted minimally, with just enough simple details in each to suggest the new locales; plenty of blank spaces per page/spread will help children focus on George and his activities. Kids likely won't notice, but adults will wistfully acknowledge the too-small floes appearing in one spread. A lap will be a snuggly read-aloud home for this one. (Picture book. 3-6)

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July 1, 2019
Grouchy polar bear George is tired of city life, so he decides to "go back home. But he had forgotten where home was." He tries the jungle, a mountain, and so on until he arrives at "a strange white land." Even if readers predict George's Arctic destination, they will enjoy the journey by way of Ghosh's beautifully composed outdoor scenes.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)