Polar: A Photicular Book

by Dan Kainen, Carol Kaufmann

Overview

Take a stunning journey to the ends of the earth through the colorful, fluid motion of Photicular® technology. A phenomenon first seen in the bestsellers Safari and Ocean, Photicular technology uses sliding lenses and video imagery to display realistic living motion in the pages of a book. It’s like a movie in your hand.

Penguins waddle in their irresistibly happy way. A walrus lumbers across the snowy landscape. There’s a polar bear with her lively cubs. A beluga whale, breaching. A team of sled dogs sprinting directly at the viewer. And the miracle of the Northern Lights, shimmering like a silk rainbow through the star-filled night.

National Geographic writer Carol Kaufmann brings the reader along on a voyage to the North and South Poles, and writes a lively and informative essay for each image, including vital statistics for each animal, such as their size, range, habitat, and more.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761185697
Publisher:	Workman Publishing Company
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Series:	Photicular Series
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	8.38(w) x 8.38(h) x 2.00(d)

About the Author

Dan Kainen is an artist, designer, and inventor living in New York City. He is the creator of the bestselling Photicular books, including Safari, Ocean, Polar, Jungle, and Wild. While working with some of the pioneers of holography, Dan created a special spotlight that was used by Soho’s Museum of Holography to light holograms. The related field of holography led to Dan’s interest in lenticular art and, in turn, after nearly a decade of research and experimentation, to the creation of his “Motion Viewer,” his third patent in that field and the inspiration for Safari and the other Photicular books. Visit him at DanKainen.com.

Carol Kaufmann is the author of 97 Ways to Make a Cat Like You and co-author of the bestselling Photicular books Safari, Ocean, and Polar (Oct. 2015). A freelance writer and editor, her work for National Geographic and other publications has taken her to all corners of the globe, from the Pacific Ocean’s floor to the top the Atlas Mountains. In addition to National Geographic, her writing has appeared in the New York Times’ Draft column, Reader’s Digest, where she was the National Affairs Reporter, The Washington Post, George, and in the anthology A Woman’s Europe. She is also the author of the ebook, MamaTricks. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2015
Gr 3–6—The team that produced Safari (2012) and Ocean (2014, both Workman) this time tackles the polar regions. Dancing penguins, flying snowy owls, and running sled dogs are among the polar animals portrayed in creations called photiculars, or moving, three-dimensional, hologram-esque depictions. Both poles are described and deftly differentiated: the Arctic is an area of permanently frozen ice, while the continent of Antarctica is completely covered by a layer of ice. Chapters include a photicular and brief information on the animal's size, habitat, range, diet, life span, and population. A page of text fleshes out the summary with detailed factual and often entertaining material. For example, male reindeer shed their antlers in November and grow them back them in the spring, but since females keep their antlers through the winter, Santa's reindeer are all females. Threats to each animal are covered, including the effects of global warming. A glowing photicular of the northern and southern lights finishes this sampling of life on the two poles. The readable and enlightening material makes this a worthy addition. However, the fascinating, almost magical illustrations will easily attract enthusiastic readers and the design might prove too fragile for the wear and tear of circulation. VERDICT An intriguing offering for collections willing to take the risk of damage.—Frances E. Millhouser, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA

School Library Journal