- Last Polar Bears, The
- Written & Illustrated by Harry Horse
- Age 6-10
- Hardcover: $12.95
- ISBN: 978-1-56145-379-5
- Total Pages: 96
- Size: 5 1/2 x 7 1/2
- Language: English
- Rights: USA
- Status: active
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- Leveling Information
- Accelerated Reader
- AR Quiz#: 124345
- AR Reading Level: 5
- AR Points: 1
- F&P (Fountas & Pinnell)
- F&P Level: P
- F&P Grade: 3-4
- Reading Counts
- Reading Counts Level: 5.2
- Reading Counts Points: 5
- Reading Counts Interest Level: 3-5
- Additional Info
- Color Info: black & white line illustrations
- Categories
- Animals
- Fiction
- Adventure
- Middle Reader
Last Polar Bears, The
Grandfather is off on an expedition to the North Pole to find the Last Polar Bears. Accompanying him is Roo, a remarkable little dog with strong views and a short attention span, and a golf cart full of equipment. The intrepid explorers set sail on the good ship Unsinkable and embark on the adventure of a lifetime.
Grandfather and Roo endure storms, high seas, a temperamental sea captain, and seasickness until the ship reaches Walrus Bay. In a primitive coastal town, Grandfather gets in a game of golf but unscrupulous wolves plague him and Roo. Finally, Grandfather and Roo and a penguin companion head off on foot to find the Great Bear Ridge, home to the Last Polar Bears.
Author-illustrator Harry Horse tells this hilarious, original story through a series of affectionate letters written by Grandfather to his grandchild back home. Horse’s winsome pen-and-ink illustrations capture the charmingly eccentric personalities of Grandfather and his delightful canine companion and the amusing calamities that befall them. The result is a fanciful tale that will delight young and old alike.
Author & Illustrator
Harry Horse wrote and illustrated many books for children, including the popular Little Rabbit picture books and the novels The Last Polar Bears, The Last Castaways, The Last Cowboys, and The Last Gold Diggers. He was also a political cartoonist for several national newspapers in the United Kingdom. He died in 2007.
You can visit Harry Horse’s website here.
Reviews
“...this chapter book is a practical introduction to independent reading. The theme of global warming is subtle but clear and could inspire rich classroom conversations or lessons. The late cartoonist's silly annotated black-and-white illustrations are sprinkled throughout, each letter adding additional humor to the zany fantastical adventure, which includes a pack of singing drunken wolves, a snow poet and frozen seagulls. Quirky with a message.” ―Kirkus Reviews
“Horse's droll wit extends to his delicate pan-and-ink illustrations, which keep the spotlight trained on the emotive Roo and her animal co-stars.” ―Publishers Weekly
Awards
Flicker Tale Children's Book Awards (nominee, intermediate books) ―North Dakota Library Association 2008-2009
