“Where’s polar bear?” by Nico Hercules has been a favourite for months and it’s on our daily reading list. A cute story in rhyme about the possible whereabouts and activities of a polar bear, who can blend into his surroundings a little too much. 

Little gosling would ask for polar bear. Funnily, when we start reading the book, “Polar bear’s gone, but where did he go?”, little gosling points the finger to the bear’s ears blending into the ice giggling, “there!!!”. I wonder for a moment whether he will want to stop, but we always go on to finish the story.

Some of the activities he is portrayed engaging in are decidedly wintery, but others less, like canoeing or snorkeling. One also gets to meet some other polar friends. Curling with penguins was an early favourite, back when little gosling was into penguins. Recently, we’ve spent more time on the dinner with the seal and the walrus, diseccating the dinner table; the pizza the seal is having is such a show stealer. My absolute favourite is the “deep conversation about the holes in his socks” with the “smart Arctic fox”. Sometimes daddy mimes the different activities whilst mommy is reading, causing all sorts of giggles and squeaks. 

Little gosling was hooked on it from the beginning (he was around 1). The language is simple and accessible from very early on, the rhyme is entertaining, the colours are vivid and the forever smiling bear exhudes friendliness and invites himself in for whatever activity. I also enjoy reading it and inadvertently and very quickly creeps into one’s memory.