Wild About Bears [Paperback]

This comprehensive catalogue leaves no bear behind! Discover the world’s eight bear species in gorgeously illustrated detail. Wild About Bears begins with the common physical traits and behaviors shared by all bears before diving in to the detailed differences. Discover the habits and habitats of the polar bear, brown bear, American black bear, spectacled bear, Asiatic black bear, sloth bear, sun bear, and giant panda and marvel at the adaptations each has developed to survive in a challenging world. 

Back matter includes a brief word on the threats humans and a changing climate pose to bear populations, a map of global bear distribution, an overview of bear habitats, and a list of further reading for curious future zoologists.Both text and artwork support this book's title: full of facts, but only those emphasizing endearing bear habits; full of gentle watercolors that show peaceful bear-family scenes. The book is laid out logically. After an initial double-page spread introduces the fact that our planet hosts eight bear species, subsequent spreads address each of the following: physical traits; general behaviors; each of the eight species; environmental concerns. Children who delight in learning animal facts will revel in such sentences as, Asiatic black bear nests look a lot like large bird nests and may be found 60 feet up in a tree. There's plenty of new, gracefully defined vocabulary too, as in plantigrades and vacuoles. Brett highlights details in physiology and habitats to differentiate the species from one another and gives scientific and common names for each. Despite the scientific, almost dry text, the bears' faces and body language border on anthropomorphism, with several bears gazing winsomely at readers. This helps to reinforce the author's assertion that humans need to protect bears and their habitats for everyone's mutual benefit.lãŒ