The Reading Warehouse

"Winning combination of information and entertainment." - Kirkus Reviews

Charming Delightful photographs and brief, informative prose guides us through the first year of a brand new polar bear. Great non-fiction title to share for storytime. Easy to read text and beautiful illustrations for younger readers.

Vicks the polar bear cub was born in the Rotterdam Zoo on December 6, 2010, and became something of a celebrity as 500,000 people watched him during the first several months of his life on a webcam feed from his maternity den. Named after the company that sponsors him in cooperation with the Zoo, Vicks made his first public appearance in March 2011, and captured the hearts of millions of people around the world.

A thoroughly engaging and endearing look at a polar bear's first year of life. Through photographs and funny illustrations, Vicks the polar bear cub is brought to life for young and old. For children ages 3 and up.

Mack has a primitive way of drawing. He gets inspired by African art and the paintings of the Australian aboriginals. Both create a immense power by simplifying shapes. Mack wants to combine that powerful simplification with a subtle sense of humour.

"In my books I try to teach children something in a funny way," Mack says. "If I draw a penguin, it doesn't matter to me that much how pretty he is or how good of an swimmer he is. What I want to show the most is how baggy he stands on the ice and how funny his walk is. That funny bagginess is what I try to catch in a couple of lines. Only when children can laugh about it, I think to myself: 'Yes, I did it'."