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Winston of Churchill – One Bear’s Battle Against Global Warming

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Winston of Churchill

Winston of Churchill – One Bear’s Battle Against Global Warming

Title:  Winston of Churchill – One Bear’s Battle Against Global Warming
Author:  J. D. Okimoto
Illustrator:  Jeremiah Trammell
Publisher:  WA: Sasquatch Books, 2007

Audience: Primary

Brief Summary of Book:
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada is the place where tourists flock to observe polar bears. The polar bears in this clever story are led by a cigar smoking bear named Winston. Winston is worried about the ice melting from global warming and the impact it will have on the polar bears way of life. The story shows that even one individual can help make a change.

Climate Literacy Principles:
Principle 6: Human activities are impacting the climate system

Supporting Climate Literacy Principles:
Principle 3: Life on earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects climate

Overall Recommendation:  Very Good
A very good book for younger children that covers complex content in a way that younger children can understand.

Detailed Review: Click Here to Download PDF

Review: Winston of Churchill – One Bear’s Battle Against Global Warming

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Winston of Churchill – One Bear’s Battle Against Global Warming

Winston of Churchill

Winston of Churchill – One bear’s battle against global warming

Brief summary and overall recommendationOkimoto, J. D. (2007). Winston of Churchill- One bear’s battle against global warming. Seattle, WA: Sasquatch Books.  Illustrated by Jeremiah Trammell 
Audience: Primary
Brief summary of book:Churchill, Manitoba, Canada is the place where tourists flock to observe polar bears. The polar bears in this clever story are led by a cigar smoking bear named Winston. Winston is worried about the ice melting from global warming and the impact it will have on the polar bears way of life. The story shows that even one individual can help make a change.
Climate Literacy PrinciplesPrinciple 6: Human activities are impacting the climate system
Supporting Climate Literacy Principles:
Principle 3: Life on earth depends on, is shaped by, and affects climate
Overall Recommendation:  Very Good
A very good book for younger children that covers complex content in a way that younger children can understand.
Literary:  VG
This is a real story with a plot and characters about global warming. Illustrations are delightful and will be appealing to young children. Not too much scientific vocabulary is included. There are no boldface vocabulary terms and there is no glossary. Winston the polar bear is a writer. He writes a book titled “Why It’s Getting Hotter”. The author bases Winston’s character on the leader Sir Winston Churchill, who won a Noble Prize in Literature in 1953. Children won’t likely get the connection but adults should. The storyline is cute, especially when one considers the complex science the author is trying to share.
CONTENT:  VG
The author, Okimoto, did not try to make the book all encompassing about climate change or global warming. The story centers on one aspect of climate change, global warming. For younger readers that is probably a reasonable choice. It has accurate pictures of global warming consequences in the Arctic, but little science background as to why. There is no connection made between why sea ice is vital for polar bears (e.g. hunt seals from it). Okimoto states “gas around it that holds in the heat of the sun” – instead of the atmosphere holds in the Earth’s heat. Later it accurately says “the heat near the Earth”. The content of the book Winston writes about global warming is accurate.**Incorrect scientific information and/or potential to mislead or encourage misconceptions: In Okimoto’s book she writes “The earth has some gas around it that holds in the heat of the sun”. Technically, the earth has some gas around it that holds in the heat of the infrared radiation being radiated from the earth. The earth does absorb sunlight but it reradiates it as infrared.
ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS:   VG
For a beginning book on a complex topic it has just enough information to make kids curious. It is a perfect introduction to global warming. Kids can make the connection through these polar bears- that’s the first step. There is a global perspective represented when tourists from all over the world come to Churchill to  observe the bears.
SOLUTIONS
Well conceived story to demonstrate that even a single bear (or person) can have an impact to generate positive change. Stresses that everyone must do their part “no matter how small”. All the polar bears hold signs stating what people can do to help polar bear situation. The story does not portray global warming as a hopeless situation, but as a serious concern. The last page simply indicates we should all do our part.
RESOURCES
Okimoto provides a few resources to pursue. That is enough for young children if they are curious.
UNIQUE QUALITIES
Associating polar bears with global warming is not necessarily unique these days. It is how the polar bears are presented, that this is a story, and the use of Winston Churchill that is unique.