Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

Having previously worked in early childhood, I can say this is the exact type of non-fiction book I would look for when doing units. It has amazing photographs, with great facts that are simple for the kids to understand. Not only that, but the book has the sections for multiple age groups, which is great when you are in a preschool setting. It is even great as your child grows up, as there will be more pages and information in the book they weren't interested in when they were younger.

Definitely would recommend.

Journey to the Arctic where polar bears await the arrival of winter. With stunning photographs from award-winning professional wildlife photographer Stephen Gorman, Waiting for Winter tells the story of a group of polar bears living in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Each year, these bears must wait longer and longer for winter, the season that brings them sustenance for the rest of the year. This hopeful nonfiction picture book gently engages and educates readers about the effects of climate change. A parent and educator guide also provides strategies and conversation starters for discussing the Earth’s changing climate with children.

Waiting for Winter is a visually stunning and emotionally resonant children’s picture book that invites young readers into the fragile world of Arctic polar bears as they cope with delayed winters. With breathtaking photographs captured in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the book shifts the narrative focus toward juvenile bears at play—roughhousing cubs wrestling with driftwood, exploring whale‑bone “jungle gyms” and napping beside a weary mother—painting a picture of resilience wrapped in innocence.

Rather than foreground hunger or doom, Gorman uses a light touch. He balances a palpable sense of environmental urgency with warmth and hope. The changes wrought by climate warming—a later winter and earlier spring—underscore an urgent conservation message, made accessible through visual storytelling.

The back matter provides practical conversation prompts and factual context, making it especially effective for caregivers and educators seeking to foster a discussion about climate change. While aimed at children, its impact extends across generations, promoting both empathy and awareness.

Overall, Waiting for Winter is a powerful blend of compelling imagery and subtle storytelling — an invitation to observe, care and gain hope amid environmental challenges.

Polar bears are just so adorable. This book is a great look into the life of a polar bear. The pictures were the BEST! They made me want to cuddle one, especially the cubs. This book is perfect for children. I enjoyed it myself! It kind of made me sad for the seals, but that's the circle of life I guess lol Thank you to Capstone and NetGalley for the ARC!

I want to start by saying the photography in this book is phenomenal. I also appreciate how this book explains to adults the importance of talking about big subjects with children. It is always a good idea to discuss climate change with children and I love how this book points out that children have likely heard about it from the news or conversations around them, so having their Safe Person (guardian, teacher, parent, etc.) talk with them about it and help them understand it is important and beneficial.
My rating of this book would be higher if page 23 didn’t include the derogatory term (slur) “esk*mo”. According to the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC), the term Inuit was adopted to designate all Inuit within the Circumpolar region and rejected the term “esk*mo” in 1980 as stated in the ICC charter. According to the Alaska Native Language Centre (ANLC), Alaskans/Yupik accept “esk*mo” over Inuit because Inuit isn’t a word from their language. To the Yupik, Inuit refers only to the Inupiat of Northern Alaska, the Inuit of Canada, and the Kalaallit of Greenland. The Kaktovik Muit (the people of Kaktovik) are a part of the Inupiat (Inuit) group, not the Yupik. The Kaktovik Muit prefer the term Inupiat which is a word derived from their own language and see the word “esk*mo” as derogatory, according to the University of Alaska and the ICC.

I thought this was a great look way to look at the topic of climate change and the bears that are affected heavily by it. It can be sad, but it is an important topic to discuss. This book was a great way to introduce young readers to the topic in a way that is easy to understand and depicts why we need to find solutions to reduce the effects of climate change.

This beautifully photographed book is informative, and offers a gentle warning about climate change. Rather than preach at the reader, the author shows how climate change is affecting the polar bears, and helps readers gain empathy for their plight. At the end of the book there is more information about the arctic circle and climate change. there is helpful advice on how to help develop a love of nature in young children and when/how to broach the statistical concerns with older children.

I highly recommend this book for schools and libraries.

Great way to introduce climate change concepts in young ones! Love the conversation starters at the back of the book. And I definitely relate to the exhausted mother! 3.5

I know I said before that I'm getting a bit sick of the one note of kids' books that talk about climate change in the same way every time. However, this book was different because it was much more specific, and therefore more interesting and unique. Additionally, the author provided readers with the simple, straight facts, and did it in a perfect way for young readers, without being overly depressing or serious. Sometimes less is more, and the author of this book definitely knew and applied that principle, which I applaud. Lastly, the actual, live images that were used worked perfectly for this book, and each picture matched the writing on every page. Bravo!

Very informative nonfiction book about polar bears. I learned lots of facts about polar bears. I thought the pictures were well done. This would be a great tool when learning about climate change.

These little guys are so cute and precious, I love them. This was a really powerful way to show how climate change effects nature.

This book is a sad depiction of the effect global warming has on polar bears. Maybe great for older kids, but for my two year old it was a hard pass.