Antarctic Book Review: Something to Tell the Grandcows by Eileen Spinelli

 Something to Tell the Grandcows by Eileen Spinelli is a historical fiction picture book written about a cow’s experience as part of Admiral Byrd’s 1933-35 expedition to Antarctica. The book does not provide much historical information other than being loosely based on the fact that Byrd did take cows with him. However, it does provide an interesting perspective of the cow experiencing the cold, 24 hours of sunlight in the Antarctic summer, and 24 hours of darkness in the Antarctic winter. This book is appropriate for grades K to 2. This can be a good book for engaging animal lovers into the topic of Antarctica, especially its climate.

Antarctic Book Review: Rescue in Antarctica by Emily Sohn

Rescue in Antarctica: An Isabel Soto Geography Adventure by Emily Sohn is a graphic novel appropriate for grades 3 to 5. This book is part science fiction with the main characters traveling through time and space through a portal. This book can also be partly considered contemporary realistic fiction because it is mainly about a rescue operation that is similar to how researchers may end up stranded and rescued in Antarctica today. This book is a good selection to introduce children interested in graphic novels to the topic of Antarctica. The book also provides a quick introduction to the concept of climate change and how it is affecting the continent.

Antarctic Book Review: Tom Crean Ice Man, the Adventures of an Irish Antarctic Hero by Michael Smith

Tom Crean: Ice Man, the Adventures of an Irish Antarctic Hero by Michael Smith is a biography of Tom Crean. The book focuses on his experiences as part of three Antarctic expeditions during his career with the British Navy. This book is appropriate for grades 3 to 5. This book is a good biography that covers the life of an early Antarctic explorer that is not as well known individually as Scott or Shackleton, but was part of two of the most famous Antarctic expeditions (Scott’s 1910-1913 Terra Nova South Pole expedition and Shackleton’s 1914-1917 Endurance expedition). Being about a lesser-known explorer might make this book appealing to students that want to learn more about Antarctic explorers.

This book also provides an alternative perspective that other resources on the expeditions do not always cover, especially in regards to Crean not getting selected for the final push to the South Pole with Scott after getting within 150 miles and their return party almost facing death like Scott’s party did. The book may also be considered multicultural in that Crean was Irish and it discusses him not talking much about his polar experiences later in life because he felt it made him too connected to Britain in a time that Ireland was fighting for independence.

Penguin Book Review: Antarctic Antics A Book of Penguin Poems by Judy Sierra

Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems by Judy Sierra is a picture book featuring a variety of poems about Emperor penguins and their life in the Antarctic. This book is appropriate for grades K to 2. This book has painting style illustrations that rather realistically portray the penguins, the actions, and the feelings that the poems describe, such as penguins hatching and taking their first swim. The poetry makes it a great read aloud book that could also be used to inspire students to develop performances to act out the poems. The book may also be useful for helping open discussion about feelings children may also identify with such as doing something new like the penguins going swimming for the first time.

Antarctic Book Review: Ann and Liv Cross Antarctica: A Dream Come True! by Zoe Alderfer Ryan

Ann and Liv Cross Antarctica: A Dream Come True! by Zoe Alderfer Ryan book is a brief biography of the American Ann Bancroft and Norwegian Liv Arnesen’s experience of fulfilling their dream of crossing Antarctica, which was the first time women skied across the continent. This book is appropriate for grades K to 2. This book is an inspirational story about determination and following dreams. This book is unique for providing a perspective on female accomplishments in Antarctica, since the literature on Antarctic explorers is mostly about men.

Penguin Book Review: The Emperor Penguin's New Clothes by Janet Perlman

In The Emperor Penguin's New Clothes by Janet Perlman, penguins become the main characters in a modern twist on a classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale. This is a picture book appropriate for grades K to 3. This book is a rare selection with an Antarctic theme that can somewhat fit the traditional literature genre. It is also a good selection for discussing topics such as fact vs. fiction (realistic penguins, but unrealistic clothing and setting), peer pressure (not wanting to be thought stupid for pointing out the new clothes are non-existent), and honesty (the young penguin telling the somewhat harsh truth about the clothes do not exist).

Antarctic Book Review: Who Counts the Penguins? Working in Antarctica by Mary Meinking

Who Counts the Penguins? Working in Antarctica by Mary Meinking is an informational picture book for grades 2 to 4. This book provides an overview of different jobs in Antarctica including highlighting what different types of scientists do such as glaciologists studying climate history using ice core samples and astronomers studying the stars. This book gives students a general overview of what jobs there are in Antarctica as well as what different types of scientists research. This book also provides a good explanation of how planes and ships deliver people and goods to Antarctica.

Antarctic research iced even though U.S. government shutdown ended

October is when news stories about Antarctica tend to begin to pick up with the summer research season beginning.  As usual the number of stories in my Google news alert for Antarctica has increased this month, but most of it is not about the different research projects being undertaken this season.  Instead it has mostly been about the U.S. Antarctic bases being put into caretaker status and the start of the research season put on hold because of the U.S. government shutdown affecting funding for the National Science Foundation.

Now the government shutdown has ended, but since the window for setting up and beginning research is so small in Antarctica research cannot just be continued as usual.  While the Antarctic program is no longer in only caretaker status, the resources are not available in time for all originally planned research to be supported.  This leads to some research teams being told they have to wait until next year, which will affect some data of projects that are in the middle of multi-year research programs.  While it certainly affects the data and the people that arranged their lives to be in Antarctica for the research season, at least some of the U.S. Antarctic programs will get to happen this season.

Related Articles:

• Despite End of U.S. Shutdown, Antarctic Research Projects Still Getting Cancelled (Science, 20 Oct 2013)

Antarctic Book Review: The Mystery in Icy Antarctica: The Frozen Continent by Carole Marsh

The Mystery in Icy Antarctica: The Frozen Continent by Carole Marsh is a contemporary realistic fiction book. In this book a girl age 10 and a boy age 7 visit McMurdo Station in Antarctica with their grandparents. This book is appropriate for grades 3 to 5. This book is good for drawing in young readers to learn a little about what life is like at a modern Antarctic research station from main characters that are around the same age as the target audience. The book is particularly good for reluctant readers or those just starting to read chapter books, as it has illustrations that can make the reading experience more fun. In particular, the use of sound words being done illustratively can add to the excitement and draw the reader’s attention more into the story, such as when the ice is cracking and an illustration says CRAACK! with crack lines around it (p. 5). This book also involves a mystery of disappearing penguins, which might help readers in grades 3 to 5 be “challenged to use their mental ability to seek solutions to problems” (Travers & Travers, 2008, p. 254). The built-in book club sections at the back of the book are also useful for encouraging thoughtful discussion of the book and learning more about Antarctica.


 

Travers, B. E., & Travers, J. F.  (2008). Children’s literature: A developmental perspective (1st ed.).  Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Antarctic Book Review: Animals Robert Scott Saw: An Adventure in Antarctica by Sandra Markle

Animals Robert Scott Saw: An Adventure in Antarctica by Sandra Markle is an informational and biographical picture book appropriate for grades 3 to 5. This book discusses the history of Robert Falcon Scott’s expeditions to Antarctica in the early 1900s with a focus on the animals he saw and used. Photo, sketches, and watercolors fill the pages to illustrate the animals and expeditions’ experiences.

Animals Robert Scott Saw: An Adventure in Antarctica may be useful for engaging students with a naturalistic learning preference into the historical topic of Robert Falcon Scott and early exploration in Antarctica. Additionally, it is a good resource for both social studies and science curriculum use, as it is actually specifically designed to meet key concepts outlined by the National Council for the Social Studies and National Academy of Sciences (p. 6).