Book Description
for Emperor of the Ice by Nicola Davies and Catherine Rayner
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Fall in Antarctica begins in April, when Emperor penguins gather on the sea ice to breed. A particular female penguin journeys to Halley Bay to find a mate and lay an egg. Once she does, she returns to the ocean to feed and regain strength while her mate keeps the egg warm over several weeks. In July the female come back to raise her chick, tag-teaming with her mate to keep the young penguin warm and hunt for its food. But the next year, climate change has altered Halley Bay; it’s no longer a safe place to lay an egg. This penguin and others must find a new place to breed where the sea ice is still reliable. An ending that feels intentionally ambiguous (the female “has found a new place to raise a chick, where the sea ice can be trusted. … At least for now.”) serves to both sound an alarm and offer some hope. Final notes provide more information about Emperor penguins, climate change, and what people might do to effect positive change. Stunning mixed media illustrations evoke the dramatic natural setting where the penguin colony raises their young. (Ages 4–8)
CCBC Choices 2024. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2024. Used with permission.