The Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-el is a juvenile fiction book, probably ranging from 3-5th grade.
In the very, very far North lives a polar bear named Duane. Duane is a curious polar bear who loves the cold, cold ocean, exploring his surroundings and making new friends.
What follows is an account of Duane’s explorations and the interesting friends he makes. Written in linear but somewhat episodic chapters, is Duane’s story.
This was an interesting read, with an interesting narrative, which is one of the reasons I picked it up in the first place. It has an almost realistic fiction feel to it, but with personified animals as the main characters with very human traits.
One of the things I am not completely sure about, is who exactly the audience is intended for. Amazon gives it a 3-5th grade range, which rings true to me but I don’t know how much interest this book would hold for older readers and the younger range may have issues with the vocabulary/narrative. I actually think this book would be best as a read-aloud for caregivers to read with the kids. In fact, the narrator all but suggests it at one point in the story.
An odd, yet charming little book. This one gets 4 stars from me.
That’s all for now!
-M-
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