While polar bears and climate change are making front page news in the real world, it is up to Riley and family to visit the Arctic Circle to reveal the plight of the polar bear from a child's perspective. Part of the multiple award-winning Adventures of Riley children's picture book series, Polar Bear Puzzle features a tense plot, amazing mixed-media visuals and cutting-edge science provided by leading scientists! Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

The books in the Adventures of Riley series are always a mishmash a jumble of story, facts, photos, and drawings. This entry is no exception. Riley and family fly to Canada, where polar bears are having trouble finding food. There's quite a bit of information about how the bears, which often wander into town, are captured, tagged, and examined. The plight of polar bears vis-à-vis global warming is discussed throughout, but the answer to the obvious question of what people can do to help save the bears is flabby and only a few lines long: everyone should work together to stop rising temperatures, recycle, and use less energy. As with other books in the series, though, this still brings the adventure close.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2008 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.