Skip Hofstrand

Tears for Nanertak is a wonderful picture book that teaches kids about the effects of global warming on the polar ice caps. The main character, Nanertak, is a polar bear cub. She and her mother Nanuck are loosing their home due to the melting ice. I really liked the author's repetition of the words, “drip..., drip..., drip...” throughout the story. They are always used in reference to the tears of the animals, land and people, but they also created a word picture which ingeniously invoked the feeling of melting ice. The author also empowers children with the knowledge that they are our future, and they too can do things to help slow the effects of global warming.

The illustrations are lovely. The author is also a professional water color artist who painted each of the pictures. Some of them can be purchased as art prints from his global warming series. Mr. Hofstrand adds an extra dimension to his work known as “numenistic integration” in which the water used in the paintings is collected from the area that is being painted. In this case, the water was collected from the runoff of the melting Greenland Ice Cap. Perhaps it was this method, or this combined with the author's style and color choices, but I felt the illustrations perfectly evoked the chilly landscape of the Arctic.

Overall, Tears for Nanertak was a beautiful book that I would highly recommend to anyone wanting to teach younger children about global warming and inspire them to get involved in conservation efforts. Part of the proceeds from the sale of each book are being donated to an educational organization which does just that, so to my way of thinking it's a win-win for everyone.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the author via the publicist, Bostick Communications, in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

I was sent a copy of Tears for Nanertak in exchange for an honest review. When it arrived my children got one look at the cover and elicited a promise to read it to them before I even finished opening the mail...with good reason. The artwork is stunning. I'm completely in love with it. I've always appreciated water-colours and Mr. Hofstrand has a spectacular talent. Plus, how cool is it that a book written with the intent of highlighting the plight of Arctic animals in the face of global warming has been illustrated with water from the melting Greenland Ice Cap. It forms a satisfying circle. There is an awful lot of blank space in the book though. I'm not sure if it is supposed to be a visual reminder of the white landscapes of the Arctic or just odd formatting.

The message in the book is a simple one, the next generation must be taught now to be responsible wardens of animal habitats. But I fear it might be lost on the primary audience (children). I don't think it is particularly explicit and would likely need to be explained. However, the book could easily be used as a talking point to broach the subject of climate change with youngsters. Either way, it's worth reading just for the artwork.… (plus d'informations)