Over in the Arctic: Where the Cold Winds Blow (Sharing Nature with Children) by Marianne Berkes

• 01/14/2014
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Over in the Arctic: Where the Cold Winds Blow (Sharing Nature with Children)
Marianne Berkes
Dawn Publications (2008)
ISBN 9781584691105
Reviewed by Cayden (age 4) and Max (age 2) Aures and Mom for Reader Views (8/08)

“Over in the Artic” is a “Sharing Nature with Children Book” from Dawn Publications.  It is a counting book that teaches about a variety of animals that live in the Arctic like polar bears, wolverines, walruses, and whales.  At the end of the book there are various activities along with more information about the animals.

Cayden:  “I like counting books!”

Max: “One, two, three!”

Cayden:  ‘The Arctic looks like a very cold place!”

Max:  “Brrrrrr!”

Cayden:  “I wonder if that water that the walruses are swimming in is as cold as the water that comes out of our hose.”

Cayden:  “Walruses use their flippers to help them swim.”

Max:  “Grrrrrr!!”

Cayden: “I think wolverines are mean!”

Cayden:  “I liked counting the baby animals and then naming them in that game at the end.  I also liked going through and finding the other animals that were hidden on the pages.  I liked learning more about the animals when you read those other parts at the end too, like that the polar bears have fur between their toes so they don’t slip on ice.”

Parent’s comments:
“Over in the Arctic” is a great, fun, educational nature book!  I love how the book presents so many different opportunities for the child to participate from counting to finding hidden animals.  I found the facts about the Arctic and its inhabitants at the end of the book to be very interesting and my children learned a lot.  We definitely will be trying some of the extended activities listed in the “Tips from the Author” section like filling spray bottles with water and food coloring and painting the snow, and doing the blubber activity with shortening.  “Over in the Arctic” by Marianne Berkes is an excellent book and we highly recommend it!