Iceberg: A Life in Seasons

Poetic depictions of a newly calved iceberg across the seasons characterize Saxby’s witness to abundant Antarctic biodiversity. “If this world looks empty,/ look closer,” beckon early lines, which go on to name leopard seals, “fish-fat and sleek” emperor penguins, “clouds of krill,” terns, blue-eyed cormorants, and humpback whales, among others, as just some of the creatures that share the iceberg’s environment. Employing techniques including watercolor and collage to capture the icy landscape, Racklyeft’s illustrations help to enliven Saxby’s portrait of the Antarctic, and a gatefold immerses readers into what is a luminous underwater home for multitudes of marine animals. Interconnectedness is emphasized throughout (“Squid chase krill./ Birds chase squid./ Orca gather, linger, watch and seize./ Short-tailed shearwaters feast then return/ to their chicks”), and when the iceberg tips below velvety water, verse remarks on nature’s cyclical characteristics for a majestic, conservation-oriented conclusion about a place that “feels everything we do.” A note about polar regions and glossary conclude. Ages 3–6. (Sept.)