In this entertaining, if episodic, set of observations, Bledsoe imparts techniques learned during no fewer than three trips to the Antarctic—from spotting whales and building a quick shelter of snow to using an outdoor waste bucket in subzero weather. Her sparse black-and-white photos make less enticing illustrations than those in Jennifer Dewey’s Antarctic Journal (2001). However, highlighted by visits to the inland Dry Valleys (where the presence of ancient, mummified seals provide an enduring mystery) and the geographical South Pole, near which a ceremonial pole topped with a mirror ball has been planted “mainly for photo opportunities,” she provides similar glimpses of the Antarctic’s human settlements and native wildlife. Armchair travelers will be pleased. (glossary, timeline) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
