Ahoy there, Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer (1988) is a timeless story. The young polar bear Lars lives with his family at the North Pole. One day he is accidentally caught in a humongous fishing net. On the fishing vessel, he meets a cat named Nemo. Together they arrive at port. When Lars sees the lights of civilization on the evening horizon, he’s excited to visit this new land. “What he found...surprised and disappointed him. Everything was so untidy and dirty.” Nemo guides him off the dangerous streets and introduces him to a group of friendly cats. A cat named Johnny says his ship will leave for the Arctic in the morning, and this is how Lars goes home. This is a story about discovering places beyond home and a story about pollution. It’s also a story for children learning about the fragility of the arctic.
