WHY ARE THE ICE CAPS MELTING?

Posing on icebergs that are considerably smaller on the rear endpapers than the front, flocks of penguins tellingly bookend this call to start worrying about the effects of global warming, and to think about personal-scale ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Though Rockwell oddly omits mention of nitrogen and oxygen in her tally of atmospheric gases, and Meisel suggests in one cartoon scene that children might actually perceive a single year’s change in sea level, in general readers will find a thought-provoking, balanced mix of facts and opinions that won’t leave them feeling helpless in the face of a worldwide catastrophe in the making. A worthy addition to the Lets Read and Find Out series. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)