Glaciers Are Alive

By: Debbie S. Miller / Illustrated by: Jon Van Zyle Discover a special world where life flourishes. This environmental picture book introduces young science and nature lovers to the wonders of glaciers, the wildlife that call them home, and how important they are to the health of our planet. A glacier may look forbidding and empty, but it supports abundant life. Follow a glacier as it flows from mountain to ocean, providing a home for ice worms, birds, bears, and more. Where the glacier meets the sea, it creates a rich environment for marine life such as seals, otters, and whales.  As glaciers melt at a rapid rate due to climate change, their disappearance impacts not only the wildlife that calls them home, but also all life on earth. Glaciers are alive, and they need our protection! If you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: Ten Animals in Antarctica A Mother's Journey Rare and Blue [TABS] Look Inside Downloadables Download the Cover Author & Illustrator Debbie S. Miller, author Debbie S. Miller has a passion for writing about the wilderness and wildlife that surround her home in northern Alaska. Out her window she sees humpback whales spouting in the bay, and brown bears occasionally walk through her garden. She is the author of many nature books for adults and children, including the award-winning picture books The Great Serum Race: Survival at 40 Below and Arctic Lights, Arctic Nights, all of which were illustrated by Jon Van Zyle. Read more about Debbie. Jon Van Zyle, illustrator Alaska is artist Jon Van Zyle's inspiration. Having twice completed the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, he is now the official artist of the Iditarod and the recipient of a Governor's Arts and Humanities Award. In addition to producing paintings for exhibitions, prints, and posters, he illustrates children's books, including several by Debbie S. Miller.  Read more about Jon. Awards & Honors Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year 2024 Editorial Reviews Kirkus Reviews A survey of wildlife in, around, and dependent on tidewater glaciers. Miller’s title may stretch the point, but her tally of glacial flora and fauna is quite full—ranging from pink algae and ice worms to brown bears and humpback whales. And, along with depicting them all with nearly photographic precision in his acrylic illustrations Van Zyle ably captures the rugged character and monumental scale of the frozen river as it grinds through mountains and down to tower over cold-looking arctic waters. The glacier’s exact locale isn’t specified, but a reference to Prince William Sound in the dedication and the longtime collaborators’ string of Alaska-centered picture books makes it clear enough, and along with a generous helping of glacial argot (firn ice, bergy seltzer, seracs), the author adds timely warnings about the effects and hazards of climate change on glaciers worldwide. The human hikers and boaters who put in occasional appearances are too tiny to be individualized. Revealing glimpses of an icy but populous natural habitat. Children's Literature This beautifully-illustrated picture book for young children introduces the importance of conserving glaciers in order to protect the many species that inhabit them or need them to survive. Covering organisms from algae, to birds, to bears, Miller does a wonderful job of demonstrating how glaciers are necessary for the survival of each of these species. This book also introduces some of the consequences of climate change to readers and parents when it comes to glaciers, cold-weather animals, and even the warming of Earth. Written with very descriptive language that is accompanied by amazing illustrations, this book will keep the attention of parents and children alike. Each animal gets its own two pages about how glaciers directly impact their survival and abilities to thrive. Though this book contains discussion of potentially heavy topics related to climate change, it is extremely important and valuable for teaching young children about the impacts that they can have on nature. This book would be most suitable for children aged 4 to 9 because of the language and subject matter. Details Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-62354-361-7 Ages: 4–8 Page count: 32 10 x 8 [/TABS]