  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 08/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2—At the close of an Arctic winter, a wolf pup, stranded on an ice floe, is rescued by a polar bear. "I am not your mother," says the bear, but she assures the fearful pup that she will care for and shelter him. As the seasons turn, she protects the pup, plays with him, and teaches him to fish until at last it is time to let him go. Now an adult leading his own pack, the wolf discovers a lone polar bear cub and brings the kindness shown to him full circle. The illustrations, rendered in acrylic, ink, pencil, and pastels and digitally finished, depict the landscape in muted shades of gray, blue, green, and tan, with occasional splashes of color as the sun breaks over the frozen tundra. Alert readers will notice the gradual change in the wolf pup's coloring. Several other animals—puffins, a gray owl, a walrus, a snow goose, seals, and lemmings—also appear. The text contains poetic descriptions such as "fierce wind" that "holler[s] and roar[s]," and unexpected juxtapositions such as "[a] throb of silence." VERDICT The lyrical writing makes this a wonderful read-aloud. This story of extraordinary kindness may also prompt a discussion of diverse families. A first purchase.—Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 10/01/2017 As the Big Melt begins in the Arctic, a little wolf finds himself alone, adrift on a sheet of ice. He swims toward land, where a polar bear finds and nurtures the shy pup. She nuzzles him, plays with him, scolds him, teaches him to fish, and, when he’s older, nudges him to strike out on his own. Now full grown and leading his own pack, the wolf discovers a motherless polar bear cub in a snowdrift. He promises her warmth, shelter, and protection until she’s ready to survive on her own. The simply written text deals with fundamental needs of the young. And while the main story is well told and complete on its own, the turn-around ending with its parallel phrasing adds a heartwarming twist. The writer-illustrator of Red Knit Cap Girl (2012), Stoop contributes a series of stylized pictures that effectively use understated colors. Applying acrylic paints, ink, pencils, and pastels to plywood, she sometimes lets the wood grain show through to suggest elements of the landscape. A strong, tender picture book. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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