Narwhal: The Arctic Unicorn

PreS-Gr 4--Beautifully illustrated, this narrative nonfiction book about narwhals is sure to please budding marine scientists. Anderson tells the story of an old male narwhal making his way to the northern end of his habitat along with the rest of his pod. Surprising facts blend with conjecture because narwhals haven't been studied enough to fully understand all their behaviors. The small bites of text on every page make this ideal for younger or less-proficient readers, but the story is so well written, with some interesting plot twists, that older children will like it, too. The book may also serve as an excellent introduction to a discussion of animal life cycles, adaptations, or climate change. The artwork is gorgeously rendered, with realistic images of narwhals in their habitat as well as some of their predators. VERDICT A must-have for elementary nonfiction collections.--Debbie Tanner

Anderson traces the migratory path of a narwhal pod over a year in the Arctic in this fact-filled story. As winter ends, an "old narwhal" guides a pod on a dangerous monthslong journey north, following a maze of ice breaks to the high Arctic islands where the group summers before they head south in autumn. En route, "their long tusks spearing the waves," the males spar, a calf is born, polar bears and killer whales threaten, and the narwhals perform species-specific behaviors such as echolocation. Material in a smaller font accompanies with genuinely interesting scientific facts ("When echolocating, a narwhal can click more than a thousand times per second"). Moody charcoal artwork, colored digitally in murky shades, lends a timeless aspect to ocean scenes of the subject. A brief note and index conclude. Ages 5-7. (Aug.)

"A pod of narwhals making its annual migration is the frame for this introduction to a most unusual sea mammal. . . An inviting glimpse into an unfamiliar world." --Kirkus Reviews