The Polar Bear's Gift

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Though Pani longs to be a great hunter of Nanook, the polar bear, she
must be content to catch fish through the ice with her grandmother. Pani
learns quickly and soon catches many fish. As a reward Ananna gives her
her mother’s ivory fishing lure.

Pani brags about her new lure and tells the other children that its
magical powers will enable her to become a great hunter. Stung by their
laughter and jeers, Pani runs away. Soon she encounters a wounded polar
bear cub. Instead of waiting for it to die, Pani tends and feeds it,
nursing it back to health. To thank her for her kindness, Mother Bear
gives Pani a small white bag. This gift is indeed magic, and Pani and
Ananna enjoy good fortune for the rest of their lives.

Jeanne Bushey’s gentle retelling of a traditional Inuit legend will
appeal to primary-grade children and be a welcome addition to school and
library collections. Vladyana Langer Krykorka is no stranger to
illustrating Arctic-themed picture books. As in her other books,
Baseball Bats for Christmas (1990) and A Promise Is a Promise (1988),
her vibrantly colored illustrations are “spot on.” Highly
recommended.