At the Poles

The author of At the Pond and In the Woods takes readers to the most remote regions of our planet in this beautifully illustrated poetic ode to the creatures that inhabit the North and South poles.

The stark, cold landscapes of Earth’s poles may seem inhospitable, but their snowy hollows and glacial waters hide an astounding variety of creatures, from the tiny, fascinating tardigrade to the mysterious giant squid, from the fleet-footed Arctic hare to the majestic polar bear. Perfectly adapted for the climes they call home, these animals defy logic and invite awe. New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns his eye—and his pen—to the Arctic and Antarctic with lively poems filled with humor, admiration, and love, while illustrator Ellen Rooney’s vivid multimedia art brings touches of warmth and beauty to the austere landscapes of the poles. Complete with notes on each animal in the back matter, At the Poles speaks to the preciousness of life at the ends of the Earth.

That paragon of poetic pith Elliot (In the Woods, rev. 3/20; and others) returns with another winning entry. . . . Many of the fifteen brief poems use direct address, the better to connect creature with readers. . . Rooney’s eye-catching portraits—created using printmaking ink, gouache, crayon, and digital and traditional collage techniques—vary to match the tone of each poem, from lighthearted and humorous to majestic and haunting (see her shivery Greenland shark).
—The Horn Book

The confident metrics and wordplay that mark Elliott’s previous sets of wildlife-themed poems is on bright display here. . . Respect and appreciation for the natural world shine brightly throughout this seamless mix of words and pictures. A pleaser for animal and nature lovers.
—Kirkus Reviews

The icy, snowy environs of Earth’s two poles are host to a bounty of intriguing animals, especially to young nature lovers, and here Elliott offers up a variety of poems that highlight the diversity of those creatures. . . Each poem is accompanied by a full-page spread foregrounding the animal, and the multi-media art infuses scenes with energy and movement.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

David Elliott is the award-winning author of many books for children, including the New York Times best-selling And Here’s to You! as well as On the Farm, In the Wild, In the Sea, On the Wing, In the Past, In the Woods, and At the Pond. He is also the author of Baabwaa and Wooliam, illustrated by Melissa Sweet; Nobody’s Perfect, illustrated by Sam Zuppardi; and The Two Tims, illustrated by Gabriel Alborozo. David Elliott lives in Warner, New Hampshire.

Ellen Rooney is an artist and the illustrator of many books for children, including Dusk Explorers, by Lindsay Leslie, which received a Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and Grandmother School by Rita Singh, which won the Christie Harris Illustrated Children’s Literature Prize in Canada. Originally from Massachusetts, Ellen Rooney now lives in British Columbia, Canada.

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