Are you looking for some Polar children’s books to use in your classroom that include literacy extension ideas? This list may be just what you are looking for!
The Polar habitat is such a wonderful theme and is filled with some exciting literacy experiences to explore. You may have had the opportunity to read some of these Polar books already, but hopefully some will be a new adventure for you and your kids. Whether you like or dislike the Polar or Arctic regions, try these engaging books and some of the extension activities suggested.
1. Polar Bear Babies by Susan Ring
In this Step 1 Step into Reading Science Reader, polar bear babies learn the skills they will need to survive in the Arctic! This super-simple story about what the two polar bear cubs learn from their mother.
Simple, repetitive text takes readers through a day with these little bears. One of the polar babies throws himself into learning to swim, walk on ice, and fish. However, the other polar baby prefers to nap. This book is delightfully illustrated by the talented Lisa McCue.
Literacy Extensions:
- Polar Word Bank
- “Polar” Student Counting Booklet
- Paper Plate Arctic Fox Art Project
- Polar Build a Word Game
2. All About the North and South Poles by Christina Mia Gardeski
What can you find at the North and South Pole? What animals live in the North Pole? Which animals live in the South Pole?
With icy land and cold-loving creatures, Earth’s poles are cool places! This book that is full of discovering facts about both polar regions will delight beginning readers.
Literacy Extensions:
- Our Favorite Polar Animals” Classroom Book
- “Polar Senses” Student Booklet
- Venn Diagram Comparing Two Polar Animals
- Polar Build a Two Addend Number Sentence
3. Polar Regions by Cathryn Sill
The latest book in this acclaimed series explores the major attributes of the Arctic and Antarctic biomes and showcases the striking beauty and remarkable diversity of these regions.
The author and illustrator offer young readers a first glimpse into polar regions. In simple, easy-to-understand language, this guide teaches children what the polar regions are and what kinds of animals and plants live there. A glossary and afterword provide readers with further fascinating details
Literacy Extensions:
- Classroom Book: “Into The Arctic”
- Student Booklet: “Polar Counting”
- Polar Counting Math Game
- My Polar Story: Student Worksheets
4. Polar Animals by Deborah Hodge
The polar regions are home to amazing animals whose bodies are built for living in the extreme cold. Emperor penguins, snowy owls and beluga whales all have special ways of staying warm, finding food, and raising their young in a polar habitat of thick ice and snow.
The Who Lives Here? series looks at animals in their natural habitats and explains how the body and habits of each animal are suited to the place it lives. Charming, realistic illustrations, playful language and intriguing facts make these books a perfect read for young children.
Literacy Extensions:
- Polar Literature List
- Polar Story Parts: Student Worksheet
- Polar Roll It! Read It! Short Vowels
- Polar Bear Art Project
5. The Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett
Aloo-ki glances up from fishing and sees her sled dogs floating off on an ice floe. She races after them and comes upon an igloo. Being a curious girl, she goes inside only to find no one home. That’s because the polar bear family who lives there is out walking while their breakfast cools off.
Aloo-ki eats some soup, tries on their boots, and finally crawls into the smallest bed for a nap. Meanwhile, Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear see her dogs adrift, swim out to rescue them and return home to find Aloo-ki fast asleep in Baby Bear’s bed.
The author traveled to the far North to meet the Inuit people and see the amazing land where they live. Dramatic illustrations capture the shimmering ice, snow and deep blue seas of the Arctic.
Literacy Extensions:
- “Into the Arctic” Classroom Book
- Polar Story Sequencing Student Worksheet
- Polar Art Project
- Polar Number & Ten Frames
6. Where is Antarctica by Sarah Fabiny
Antarctica, the earth’s southernmost continent, was virtually untouched by humans until the nineteenth century. Many famous explorers journeyed, and often died there in the hope of discovering a land that always seemed out of reach.
This book introduces readers to this desert of a continent that holds about 90 percent of the world’s ice! It also showcases some of the 200 species that call Antarctica home, including the emperor penguin. It discusses environmental dangers to the continent, underscoring how what happens to Antarctica affects the entire world.
Literacy Extensions:
- Polar Word Bank
- Polar Literature Retelling Organizer Student Page
- Polar Make a Short Vowel Word Game
- Polar Roll & Cover Math Games
7. Artic Aesop’s Fables by Susi Gregg Fowler
“Necessity is the mother of invention.” “Practice what you preach.” Join the wolf, polar bear, raven, and many more as they learn and teach many of life’s invaluable lessons in this arctic retelling of the classic Aesop’s Fables.
A ringed seal discovers that the truth can be a powerful friend; an Arctic Ground Squirrel learn to be careful what she wishes for; and the porcupine knows that slow and steady wins the race. With beautiful illustrations by Alaskan painter Jim Fowler, the twelve fables here are uniquely set in the landscape of the Alaskan wilderness.
Literacy Extensions:
- “Polar Senses” Student Booklet
- Polar Make a Short Vowel Word
- Polar Sight Word Games
- Polar Build 2 Addend Addition Number Sentences
8. Ten Animals in Antarctica by Moira Court
Antarctica is the coldest, windiest, driest continent in the world, with icy deserts, mountain ranges, and volcanoes-some buried deep under the ice. Antarctica is home to some amazing and unique animals. How many can you count?
Starting first with briefly exploring the continent of Antarctica itself, this nonfiction picture book quickly moves to the ten animals featured inside. The book is a dynamic mix of animals in Antarctica along with an opportunity to count them as they appear on the double-page spreads.
Court has created a picture book that very successfully combines factual information about Antarctic animals with counting them. Her language is marvelous, building rhymes directly into her descriptive sentences. The illustrations are a combination of printmaking and collage. The deep colors and textures bring the cold and icy landscape to life.
Literacy Extensions:
- “Our Favorite Polar Animals” Classroom Book
- Polar Letter & Sound Match Game
- Polar Build a Word
- Polar Numbers & Ten Frames Math Game
Finally, there are so many Polar children’s books you can choose from. From fiction to nonfiction, the list of Polar or Arctic books is endless. Remember to pick the books that best fit the needs of your students or children and support your learning activities. Happy Reading!
Find some more literacy and extension activities in my store, The Teaching Scene by Maureen.
To read more blog topics check out my blog, “A Guide to Using Literature-Based Units of Study.”
