FICTION

A Warmer World

From Polar Bears to Butterflies, How Climate Change Affects Wildlife
by Caroline ARNOLD
A Warmer World: From Polar Bears to Butterflies, How Climate Change Affects Wildlife. illus. by Jamie Hogan. 32p. further reading. glossary. Web sites. CIP. Charlesbridge. 2012. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-266-7; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-1-58089-267-4; ebook $6.99. ISBN 978-1-60734-087-4. LC 2011000811.
COPY ISBN
Gr 2–4—A warmer world is the new reality for many animals and plants, and how they are reacting to climbing temperatures is the focus of this short, informative work. Arnold looks at the devastating impact of melting ice on polar bears and at the broadening range of Edith's checkerspot butterflies, to name a couple of examples. The speed of this change is leaving many species unable to adapt, and as many as a million species are feared to face extinction. A few might actually benefit from a wider habitable range, but often at a cost to other species. Combining general information on rising seas, melting ice caps, and warmer water with specific emphasis on individual animals such as loggerhead turtles, marmots, penguins, and walruses, this book offers students the opportunity to examine a natural world in flux. The soft-focus pastel drawings and collages add to the sobriety of the message. Valuable for classroom discussions of the environment and the consequences of continued and unabated global warming.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, formerly at Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY
Arnold explains the effects of climate change on animals and other life. Most, like marmots and coral, have gone extinct or are threatened, while a few (e.g., Arctic foxes) have benefited from the effects of rising temperatures on their habitats. Somewhat busy mixed-media layouts that centerpiece charcoal and pastel illustrations only slightly detract from the excellent information. Reading list, websites. Glos.
Caroline Arnold clearly introduces the subject of global warming to young readers. Main text broadly explains the effects of rising temperatures, while most pages also include information about a particular animal. Yellow-bellied marmots, for example, are emerging from hibernation earlier than they used to and starving because the plants they eat will not grow until later in the spring. Brings to light the ways in which even minor temperature change can have a devastating impact on wildlife populations because animals do not have time to adapt. Surprising examples include that temperature can affect whether loggerhead turtles are born female or male and that a change of only a few degrees can determine whether a stream is habitable for trout and salmon. Jamie Hogan’s vibrant collage illustrations are a compelling visual reminder of just how much our planet has to lose.

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