Adventure, rescue, and friendship, all familiar territory to Lars, are the themes in this tale, the ninth in the series about the little polar bear. It's springtime at the North Pole and Lars is enjoying a stroll when a cormorant introduces him to a pod of belugas. Lars romps with them until Moby, a giant sperm whale, shows up and warns them that a whaling ship is near. Lars helps the whales to hide and then to escape when they become trapped. Although the rescue is farfetched, the beautifully rendered artwork of endearing and smiling characters is appealing. The legions of Little Polar Bear fans will enjoy this new low-key adventure, and adults will appreciate the nod to Moby Dick, both in the name of the sperm whale and the name printed on an abandoned ship where Lars meets the cormorant.--Enos, Randall Copyright 2009 Booklist

K-Gr 2-First introduced in Little Polar Bear (NorthSouth, 1987), the sweet cub is back in this ninth book in the series. Lars is excited that spring has finally arrived and on his walk along the big bay, he meets up with a group of belugas. He and the whales have a wonderful time swimming and playing until a ship comes into the bay in pursuit of a giant sperm whale. Realizing that they are in danger, Lars helps his friends elude the hunters. When the men leave, the friends discover they have a new problem. Hiding behind the glaciers saved them from the poachers but the warm spring air has caused large chunks of ice to fall into the water, and the exit is now blocked. Working together, the friends free themselves and promise to meet again soon. Full-page color illustrations with special attention to facial expressions enhance the text. Little Bear's fans are sure to enjoy this appealing addition.-Michele Sealander, Hamburg School, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.