About the Book
The plump baby walrus is just a few days old, but he's ready for his first swim. Splash! He tires quickly and grabs a ride on his mother's back. She keeps him safe and fed for two years before it's time for him to be on his own. Take the plunge and find out what happens in a walrus' world.
About the Author :
Caroline Arnold is the author of 150 books for children. Her many honors include awards from the American Library Association, P.E.N., the National Science Teachers Association, and the Washington Post / Children's Book Guild. Caroline's interest in animals and the outdoors began when she was a child growing up in Minnesota. After majoring in art and literature at Grinnell College in Iowa, she received her M.A. in art from the University of Iowa. Caroline lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Art, a neuroscientist. Caroline Arnold is the author of 150 books for children. Her many honors include awards from the American Library Association, P.E.N., the National Science Teachers Association, and the Washington Post / Children's Book Guild. Caroline's interest in animals and the outdoors began when she was a child growing up in Minnesota. After majoring in art and literature at Grinnell College in Iowa, she received her M.A. in art from the University of Iowa. Caroline lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Art, a neuroscientist.
Review :
When springtime rolls around in the Arctic, walrus herds begin to move south toward the northern Alaskan coastline to spend the summer. There are "two main groups-Pacific and Atlantic," but this book is about the Pacific group. A walrus herd can consist of a handful of animals or can have "more than 1,000 walruses in it." Somewhere along this journey a female walrus will leave the water and climb "onto an island of floating ice" to give birth to her little baby. This baby, called a calf, is quite large in comparison to a human child and can weigh up to a whopping 160 pounds. The mother will nuzzle and nurse her calf for a few days and then it's time to enter the water. When the calf becomes tired it can easily catch a ride on its mother, who, after a few days, "will join a group of other walrus mothers and their babies." The foods of choice for a walrus would be things such as ocean shellfish, worms and every now and then a seal. As large as they are, these creatures are not immune from becoming a tasty snack for the polar bear and must remain on the alert. "Awk! Awk!" Sometimes the herd needs to enter the water, not to find food, but to prevent being lunch. Physically the walrus is easy to identify because of their magnificent and unusual tusks, but there are many things this equally magnificent book will teach you. You will learn about their habitat, where they live, what they eat, their physical characteristics, their animal class, their scientific name, how they raise their young, how long they live and many other interesting facts. Did you know that the males of the species actually sing? They do! This is one in a series of twelve books in the "Caroline Arnold's Animals" series, each one seemingly more impressive than the last. This book was well written and researched and the cut paper collage meshed very nicely with the text. The artwork was particularly appealing and made this massive animal actually look cuddly and quite loveable. I like the way the book wove factual material into the text, which was nicely presented in what I would call a storybook form. This book can be read as a story to children who can readily absorb a lot of information. This would make an excellent read aloud and discuss book in the classroom setting or could easily be used as a stepping stone for a report. There are numerous informative sidebars scattered throughout the book. In the back of the book is a world map that indicates where the walruses live, some "Walrus Fun Facts," an index, a glossary and additional recommended books and internet resources (Fact Hound). This is one interesting book you might want to consider adding to your homeschool or library shelves! Quill says: This very appealing book holds a wealth of information about the Pacific walrus for the young student! "Awk! Awk!" http: //www.featheredquill.com/reviews/childrens/arnold_4.shtml-- "Feathered Quill Book Reviews"
Arctic mammals are especially fascinating to children. This book series explores these mammals from birth through their first year of life. The books were written with ages 5 to 7 and grades K to 2 in mind, but older and younger children will also enjoy this series. Each book in this series focuses on one arctic mammal and follows it, in its natural habitat, from birth through the first year of life. Sidebars, fun facts, and maps are scattered throughout each book. Also included is a glossary, an index, a list of safe websites to explore at Fact Hound, and a map of where the animals live in the world. Included at the very beginning of the book is a listing of where the animal lives, its habitat, food, length and weight, animal class, and scientific name. Other plants and animals that would be in the animal's habitat are identified. A wildlife biologist served as a consultant on this book, and the facts scattered throughout are fascinating. For instance, at birth a baby walrus weighs between 100 and 160 pounds and is 4 to 5 feet long (essentially the size of a person). When it's full grown, it may weigh 2700 pounds and be from 10 to 12 feet long if male and weigh 2000 pounds and be between 8 and 9 feet long if female. Adult walruses eat up to 100 pounds of food per day, and in its first year of life, a walrus grows 4 to 5 inches per month. Male walruses sing songs to females, and they are so loud they can be heard 10 miles away. A walrus skin can be up to 4-inches thick, and its scientific name means toothed walker. The author uses her characteristic cut-paper illustrations, with no photos or actual pictures. While they are art, they are still accurate and appealing. I still found myself longing for a "real" picture of a walrus, but this was not enough to detract from my overall recommendation. This book is very interesting, filled with loads of information, and is highly recommended.-- "NSTA Recommends"
I was digging through the box of books that Capstone had sent me, looking for a book to review when I found one by my favorite easy reader nonfiction author, Caroline Arnold. When my own children were just learning to read and wanted information about animals, I always knew that Caroline Arnold would have something to interest them. This series, however, isn't the photographic illustrated book I normally expect from her. This time around, she is illustrating the books herself with cut paper, instead. Which means, of course, that the double page scenes seem to be up close and personal. Because she uses lines of paint as well as the cut paper, the walruses seem very real. (and very wrinkled, like they should be) As the book progresses, a baby walrus grows up. During the summer, he and his mother joins a herd of female walruses, but in the winter several thousand male and female walrus join forces for protection and warmth. This is told in story format with yellow rectangles sprinkled on the pages offering more factual information about the beasts. The book is square -- 11 inches on each size -- and could cause a problem in a library with tight shelving. As it is, it's just barely going to fit in my library with the 12 inch spacing between shelves. For first and second grade readers. (preschoolers would enjoy it being read to them because of the nice large pictures.) http: //blog.wendieold.com/search?updated-max=2010-11-25T12%3A29%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=7-- "Wendie's Wanderings Blog"
Perfect nonfiction offering for the annual kindergarten study of the arctic. This oversized picture book presents the facts on Pacific walruses with large, easy-to-share illustrations - all done in hues of black, white, brown, and soft blue. This series would be perfect for an easy nonfiction shelf and includes titles on the eagle, moose, polar bear, kangaroo, killer whate, koala, panda, penguin, playtpus, wombat and zebra.-- "Arlington Independent School District"
