cover image North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration

North: The Amazing Story of Arctic Migration

Nick Dowson, illus. by Patrick Benson. Candlewick, $16.99 (56p) ISBN 978-0-7636-5271-5

Few animals can survive the harsh Arctic winter, but in the spring, many species migrate northward. Benson uses a subtle palette of slate blues and copper tones, the generously scaled spreads emphasizing onward motion as terns soar and compete for fish, and a gray whale travels from Mexico, past the Golden Gate Bridge, and to the Arctic Circle. Dowson combines sound knowledge of his subjects with thoughtful lyricism (“After spawning, this silver herring shoal heads north to feed on clouds of blooming plankton”); Benson’s lovely spreads, a mix of panels and full-bleed spreads, are a testament to the wonder of the migratory instinct. Ages 7–up. (Nov.)