This children's non-fiction book is both informative and visually appealing, with beautiful illustrations. It's a great picture book for kids to learn about glaciers and understand their importance beyond simply being large chunks of ice in the ocean. This would be a great addition to any classroom library!

One interesting book about glaciers: how it is made, and who lives there. In the end, the author also mentioned that (global warming) melts the glaciers, a place where many animals lives. So where will they live? The issue of global warming is a concern for us all, and the way many living beings are slowly lost their home supposed to be our big concern.

Interesting book on glaciers and the impact of their disappearance on the environment. Very informative way to introduce young readers to climate changes impact on our enviroment

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this title. I never knew how vibrant of an ecosystem a glacier contains. The artwork is beautiful, I would have liked some more scientific information to be included.

This is a nonfiction look at the lifespan of a glacier. It covers both how glaciers move and how they warm, and all the animals in creatures living on above or below the glacier. The book is well done, and the illustrations are quite interesting, I do wish however, they had included more real pictures. There is one in the very back but it’s small.

A fascinating look at glaciers as an ecosystem. From tiny algae to seals and whales, many creatures depend upon glaciers for their food and habitats. The story is clear and engaging with beautiful illustrations. The author's note provides additional information on the importance of glaciers along with a call to action to save them.

An exploration of glaciers, from their beginnings as snow packs to their final melting into the sea. With a bit of dwelling on the speed at which these behemoths are melting. This book covers a LOT of information, but does it in a pretty compact manner. It’s been fine-tuned for the child audience, and my kid quite enjoyed this one!

Normally, in my reviews, I make note if the artwork uses a lot of “whitespace.” As in, no artwork in significant portions. It just strikes me as funny here, where a large portion of some pages ARE white, and that’s PART of the art. Jon Van Zyle did an amazing job giving texture and interest to the icebergs. The animal life is quite cute, as well! Certainly something to make kids want to save the glaciers.

I think this is a great pick for any school unit on ecosystems, conservation, or the ocean.

Advanced reader copy provided by the publisher.

I really enjoyed reading this text. It would work great with older students, especially those who are interested in animals. The illustrations are very detailed and appealing, and the text is also very informative and scientific. I think at times though, the text might be a little too technical for students. Otherwise, I really enjoyed reading, and learning a lot as well.

Glaciers are Alive! By Debbie S. Miller and illustrated by Jon Van Zyle is a solidly informative children’s non-fiction work bolstered by some beautiful illustrations.

The text is mostly pretty straightforward, occasionally dipping into more lyrical language (“snowflakes whirl and swirl”) or making using of onomatopoeia (“Crunch, Crush, Crunch, Crush”). That language is better suited for older younger readers, probably 3rd grade or higher, and it employs a number of specialized words such as “Nunatak” or “bergy seltzer.” Older readers will pick up the meanings from context; for younger readers there is a glossary at the back. A few shifts felt a little abrupt, the brief digression into climate change felt like it interrupted the flow (not a call to remove it, just shift its placement), and now and then it felt like there was a bit of a mismatch between text and illustration. For instance, the text tells us the glacier is home to “billions of tiny living things”, but the following illustration is of two birds. But overall the text, as noted, is solid.

The illustrations on the other hand are excellent, whether they are depicting animals or land/seascapes. They make good use of color, particularly shades of blue, which is obviously highly apt for the subject matter.

Recommended.

A great way to teach about glaciers and the animals that live in and around them. Most will never see a glacier up close through this book you will feel like you have seen one without the cold. While it looks one way on the surface theres a lot going on underneath. There's algae blooming on the surface. Ice worms and birds around. There are noises that you hear coming from the ice. You might see some bears. There are cracks and crevasses. There's part of the glacier under the water as well as on top of the water. And you can't forget about the cute sea otters and whales.

Thanks to Netgalley and Charlesbridge for the ARC of this!

This was an interesting picture book about the cycle of glacier ice and the animals impacted by it. The illustrations were pretty and there were not too many words per page to read aloud. Within those words there was quite a lot of information though!

THIS WAS FANTASTIC. I loved learning all about glaciers! It was SO INTERESTING. A great addition to anyone or any school's library!

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This book covers the ecosystems found on, in, and around glaciers. The illustrations support this. There are many vocabulary words with definitions in the back. Unlike many learning books, there are not as many context clues for the words, so the text can be difficult for lower-level readers.

Glaciers are Alive is an informative non-fiction picturebook about glaciers.

In this book, we learn about the life cycle of glaciers. Glaciers form on mountains, and they travel toward the sea. Glaciers also support wildlife, birds, seals, whales, and bears. It was interesting to read the new terminology about the various stages of the glacier. The glossary at the end of the book provides a good reference for the words. The book also discussed the effect of climate change on glaciers. The illustrations are beautiful, especially the representation of the wildlife is eye-catching.

Even though the text is simple, I had to read it a few times to understand it. For example, the word fjord appears suddenly in the text, so I had to refer to the glossary to understand it. A flow chart showing the glacier's life cycle will help further understand the material.

Glaciers are Alive is a must-read STEM picture book.

Wonderful collection of essays on various climate problems. The voices of the activists, scientists and other amazing people really shine through in this book. Most essays end with some inspiration for the reader, like journaling prompts or ideas to research on your own. The essays are well written and just the right length to read with a cup of tea. Very inspiring!

What an amazing picture book that reminds readers how much life there is within the glaciers! I truly learned so much about the many animals that depend on glaciers, and how incredibly beautiful they are to adventure around. Not everyone is going to get the opportunity to experience seeing the glaciers in this way, so books like this are so important for showcasing their beauty and value.

This is a great picture book to introduce the concepts of glaciers and how they are more than just giant chunks of ice in the ocean. There are full ecosystems that depend on them! The illustrations are acrylic canvas paintings overlayed with the text that explains how the glacier carves land and is home to many animals from microscopic algae to seabirds, bears, seals, and sometimes exploring humans. I could see this being used in a science unit to introduce ecosystems, in geography to discuss landforms, or in a writing unit as an example of using the five senses to describe a scene.

I was wanting more from this as a nonfiction text, though. There are MANY high academic and domain-specific vocabulary words are mentioned with a glossary in the back to define. (eg algae, crevasse, fjord, krill, moraine, murrelet, etc.) I would have liked more context clues, labels, and real pictures, but this may be a good start to a unit on glaciers or animals.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Wonderfully illustrated and beautifully written, this informative title highlights the richly diverse life of the glacial ecosystem.

Although designed like a picture book, this is a factual look at glaciers, illustrated with acrylics dominated by blue, white, and brown. The serviceable text is set on each spread in a brief paragraph, describing how important glaciers are to the environment and wildlife. The way birds, bears, sea otters, whales, and other creatures need the glaciers is clearly explained. The book ends with an author’s note with more detail on Alaska’s glaciers, and glossary.

Kiddo (8) and I very much enjoyed this look into how glaciers form and the many species of animals they provide habitat and food for.

The text is simple and provides lots of information about various animal species and how they depend on glaciers. It ends with a warning about climate change without getting too doomsday about it. There is an author's note at the back with more information, which kiddo also enjoyed.

The paintings are lovely and the animals very cute. Kiddo especially enjoyed the cute animals.

I would definitely recommend this for elementary school science education. It is accessible and informative all wrapped up in a lovely package.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Charlesbridge for providing an early copy for review.