POLAR POST
An Erutuf National Park Novel
by Kathy Arnold Cherry
Arctic adventure awaits in Cherry’s third installment of the Erutuf National Park series for children.
After receiving a mysterious email from a subscription service called “Polar Post,” siblings Reese and Dean Walters (who are 10 and 8 years old, respectively) are transported from their room in a whirl of colors and music to a white, snow-covered landscape. Ecstatic, Reese and Dean realize they are back in Erutuf National Park, a magical expanse of many different habitats where they’ve previously had adventures befriending a talking sea turtle and bison and battling pirates. Unlike previous visits, however, this time Reese and Dean’s golden retriever Tutu has made the trip with them, and she wastes no time communicating with them via the mystical power of the national park: “Do you have any treats? Treats, please. I’m a good girl!” After exploring their surroundings, Reese, Dean, and Tutu discover a bunker where a polar bear and card-trick enthusiast named Tyler gives them a new mission: Find the special magic map of Erutuf’s arctic habitat and relocate it to a new hiding spot away from the pirates. To complete their mission, Reese, Dean, and Tutu must navigate a winding ice maze, visit the observatory of an ice palace, and explore a library with special books made of ice—all while avoiding the pirates, who happen to be posing as influencers documenting their trip to the park. This addition to the Erutuf National Park series is a fun adventure with a unique environmental angle and contemporary dangers like climate change and social media. Dean’s puns and love of books butt up against Reese’s logical mind for mathematics to create an enjoyable sibling dynamic that’s only heightened as their instincts to protect and comfort each other come to the fore in the more thrilling parts of the narrative. The animal characters’ quirks, like Ty the polar bear’s magic tricks and Tutu’s mania for treats and making new friends, add lively humor to the proceedings.
A cool addition to a magical children’ series that helps readers explore animals and nature.