Book Guide of the Month: A Polar Bear in the Snow
Each month in 2026, we’ll feature one of IRW’s Explore More Book Guides (EMBGs) or Storytime Guides (for pre-K readers). These freely available guides offer everything you need for a deep dive into a book we love. From author/illustrator biographical information to ideas for writing prompts, art projects, further research & text-to-text connections, our book guides have it all.
Our February Book Guide of the Month is for A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris. This is a great book to read while we’re still deep beneath snowdrifts here in Maine, and our Storytime Guide has plenty of ideas for indoor play to beat the cabin fever! We’re also delighted to be bringing Mac to Maine this summer as part of his tour as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature!
About this Book
“Follow a magnificent polar bear through a fantastic world of snow and shockingly blue sea. Over the ice, through the water, past Arctic animals and even a human . . . where is he going? What does he want?” —Candlewick Press
Illustrator Shawn Harris created this book by cutting and ripping paper. Watch his demo on how to make a collage of your own here!
What will you find in this Storytime Guide?
- Thoughtful, fun discussion questions…
- A polar bear song to read…
- Ideas for play (like building a pillow fort “cave”)…
- Things to make—try a collage!
Standards Covered in this Storytime Guide:
Language and Literacy
Your child…
- holds a book correctly, turns one page at a time.
- retells familiar stories using both storybook language and pictures.
- makes predictions about what will happen next.
- recognizes and produces rhyming words.
- uses language to express thoughts, feelings and ideas clearly.
Approaches to Learning and Play
Your child…
- participates in a variety of rhythmic and creative movement activities.
Purchase a copy…
