by Jean Little
First published 2010
Kallik the polar bear leads her three companions onto the frozen ocean as the Northern Lights blaze overhead. The land ends behind them, but their quest continues across the ice. Toklo the grizzly bear grows hostile in this alien landscape while Lusa the black bear weakens with each passing day. Neither brown nor black bears can thrive in this polar world. Only Ujurak, their shape-shifting friend, adapts by diving beneath the ice surface to uncover secrets that will transform their understanding. The frozen wilderness tests them beyond their limits until a spirit bear appears with reassurance. This mystical encounter brings new questions that threaten to split the group permanently. Kallik must draw on instincts buried deep in her polar bear heritage while watching her friends struggle against a landscape that rejects them. The vision points toward their next destination, but reaching it may cost them everything they have built together.
Genres: nature, animals, adventure, fantasy
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, quest
Setting: Northern Lights, Polar World
272 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins