Well, well, well...if it isn't the gang!

Look!

There's C.C., Magic, Boo, Duane, the Major, Twitch, and Handsome! Oh, it's like I can feel the great big group hug they are all sharing...and that feeling carries itself throughout the story. Through good times and bad, happiness and less-than-happiness, we get to know these furry, feathers, and horned friends THAT much better. We grow to understand that some of us are better at things than others (like small talk with Magic versus C.C.)...and that's okay! We accept that there are choices to be made in life, but they aren't always in our control (like the Major with his migration and Twitch's extra twitchiness)...but there are still things to learn from those situations. We learn that secrets are not always meant to be shared, especially when they are not our own (like our dear sweet Boo)...there are those that will lead us astray much for their own amusement (that new "friend" I mentioned) and to our detriment...and that unexpected things can crop up in life that change the whole dynamic of our day to day lives, but friendship, TRUE friendship can whether any storm.

It was a grand adventure, as was to be expected from my first visit to the VERY, VERY FAR NORTH, and contained so many pearls of wisdom, one could make a necklace from them. All the feelings, all the friendships, all the fun is certainly something that stays with you long after the last turn of the page. Quite honestly, there was one part that actually brought me to tears, TEARS I tell you! Handsome would be so upset because they were leaving trail marks down my cheeks...but I'm quite certain he, Duane, or any of the rest of the crew would be standing by with a tissue at the ready...because THAT'S what friends do! They are there for one another, through thick and thin, and some of the new visitors of the VERY, VERY FAR NORTH have a thing or two to learn about the strength of those bonds, and these guys are just the friends to do it.


**review copy received; opinions are my own ( )

Readers who like a gentle story with lovable characters and quiet humor will be delighted to return to the world of Duane the polar bear and his friends, first introduced in The Very, Very Far North.
In the first book, Duane moved to a new home and made, and named, friends - C.C. the snowy owl, Handsome the musk ox, Boo the caribou, Magic the Arctic fox, Major Puff the puffin, and Twitch the Arctic hare. Each has their own unique personality, interests, and behaviors. C.C. is a scientist and doesn't do well with emotions or feelings, but she does love her friends and will adapt to help them. Twitch can be anxious and worried, especially about her dear friend Major Puff, but her friends are always ready to help her. Handsome is always worried about his appearance, but when his friends really need him, he's there. Major Puff is brave - but sometimes even a brave puffin gets lonely and scared.

A new character shows up in this book, a strange creature with no name who disrupts the quiet life of the animals and leads some of them into serious trouble. However, with all of them working together, they are able to repair friendships, rebuild trust, and find their little family even stronger than before.

There are moments of quiet humor throughout the book, sprinkled among the pages like the sweet black and white sketches that show the animals interacting with each other. Readers will giggle and sympathize over C.C.'s awkward (and disastrous) attempts at small talk and shy readers especially will empathize with Boo's distress when her privacy is violated. I appreciated the way this incident, a major part of the book is handled. Boo doesn't "get over" her shyness, discover that she loves performing in public, or discover that she really should be more like her friends. Instead, she is truly and deeply hurt and her friends realize this. Saying sorry isn't enough; they have to make amends, however inadvertent their actions were. There's no blaming the creature that led Magic into mischief, and caused her to in turn lead the others into actions that hurt one of their own. Magic takes responsibility for her own actions, as do the others, and they are willing to make themselves vulnerable to repair the harm they've done to their friend. It's a lovely way of showing a group of neuro-diverse characters and how they all relate to each other in a healthy, kind way.

Teachers and caregivers looking for books that focus on social-emotional intelligence will find this a welcome addition to their libraries. Young readers who enjoy meaty language and a gentle storyline, will appreciate the quiet humor and silly phrases. It's not necessary to read the first book, but it does introduce the characters and it's better to read them in tandem to get the full flavor of the experience.

Verdict: If you have fans of the first book, or are looking for a quiet read-aloud for a class of kindergarten up to about third grade, or have a fluent reader who wants a gentle story, this is an ideal choice. The ending seems to imply the finish of the books, but more would be welcome.

ISBN: 9781534433441; Published October 2020 by Atheneum; ARC provided by publisher for review

This tale between ice and snow is anything but cold as friendship and adventure offer tons of warmth.

First off, this is the following book to another one. I did not read the first one before reading this one, and that was not a problem. The story takes off and immediately becomes familiar right along with the characters. It's no trouble to sink right in with Duane, the polar bear, as he sleeps in his cave and dreams of his friends...later awaking into 'real life'. These are characters, which aren't even difficult not to like, each one carries a very distinct personality and quirks. It's not hard to pick out each one simply through their dialogue and actions.

The story is written with heart but also with humor and plenty of lessons for young readers. While Duane and his friends are quite the sweet and fun bunch, they are forced to figure out how to deal with a not-so-nice character, which causes all sorts of troubles. There were a few slower moments, where I did find myself skipping over things. But I'm sure this won't be the case for every reader, since I tend to like a little more action.

That's also why I'd recommend this one more for the younger end of middle grade readers. The theme and story flow is rather gentle, and I can see 7 to 10-year-olds enjoying this more than the slightly older age group. While the page amount might seem a little heavy for the younger side, the text is well placed, and there are more than several simple illustrations to break things up and keep the tale even more interesting. The story is told with heavy input from an unknown narrator, which adds extra zest to the tale. And while it walked the border of being almost too potent, at times, it made for a fun read. I'm looking forward to grabbing up the first book and seeing what I missed because I'm sure it was an enjoyable read as well.

I received an ARC and found the characters to be a wonderful bunch. ( )

The friends in this book have the gentleness of the Winnie the Pooh tales.
When I requested and read this book, I wasn’t aware it was a sequel to The Far Far North. The book is good as a stand-alone.
Duane is a polar bear and the far far north is where he has adventures with his arctic friends. C.C., Handsome the musk ox, Major Puff, Twitch and the rest of that odd bunch.
But as real life goes, every now and then an unfriendly guest shows up. Duane and the others discover that life isn’t always as peaceful as an afternoon nap. But truly, they understand that change is as much a part of life as picnics, and blankets, and the cozy stories they share.
I describe this book as delightful and magical.
The soft illustrations certainly enhance the story.
This might be a fun read aloud to 2nd or 3rd grade. ( )