A Chilly Non-Fiction Adventure

A month ago we received a mysterious parcel in the post. As it was wrapped in Christmas paper I reluctantly stashed it under the Christmas tree not knowing who had sent it or what was enclosed (although, it was addressed to 'BookBairn', and a thorough investigation suggested it was probably a book). What a lovely surprise when we opened it to reveal the second in the 'One Day on our Blue Planet' series by Ella Bailey.

Given the cold weather and snow recently, we have been reading this book, '...in the Antarctic', a lot! And can I firstly say it is a perfect example of why illustrators should be considered as artists! The publishers at Flying Eye Books certainly have an eye for illustrated art, as we previously noticed in 'A Letter for Bear' and 'Superheroes have Feelings Too'.

'One Day on our Blue Planet in the Antarctic' is a non-fiction adventure that is full of fascinating facts about a little Adelie penguin who is now old enough to venture out into the world on her own, exploring the Antarctic Ocean. This is the first book that I have read the expertly blends a story with facts in a genuinely convincing and natural way. It would be easy for this sort of combination to be contrived and either overload on facts which stilt the story or so few facts that it becomes fictional.

Adelie is a lovely character who you will enjoy following over the ice and under to the depths of the ocean encountering a plethora of birds, fish and big sea mammals. You will root for her as she comes up against her natural predators, cheer as she takes her first big dive into the ocean and sigh with relief as she takes a rest on the floating ice. She is beautifully illustrated and easy to distinguish from her fellow adelie penguins by her blue eyes - children will love spotting her on every page! BookBairn hasn't managed this yet but I have no doubt that she will (based on her superior penguin spotting skills in Emma Dodd's 'Me').

The illustrations evoke the icy beauty of the Antarctic and the icy blue colour palette creates chilly pages that bring the story to life. I have to specifically mention the illustration of Adelie resting on the ice under the Southern lights that is truly magical. The end papers are an encyclopedia of Antarctic creatures found above and below the ice, and I can see BookBairn engrossed in these for hours and hours, spotting and naming animals!
This is a book that will truly captivate younger and older imaginations alike, as well as teaching them about animals in their natural habitats. I will be looking out, and saving pennies, for a copy of the first book '...in the Savannah' and can't wait for the next installment of the series as we discover another nook of Our Blue Planet!