Face to Face with Grizzlies

Face to Face with Grizzlies, Face to Face with Polar Bears, and Little Polar Bears was purchased as a "Special Christmas Present" for my three teenage grand kids. They get an annual subscription to National Geographic KIDS. These seemed like they would fit into that category. Instead of the usual "Thank You Card", they each had to call and thank me for the "wonderful books", said a card would take to long to reach me. They were already planning who would take which book to school and share with their teachers and friends.

Grizzly bears are fairly tolerant of people, but as a rule most people don't care to have them roaming in and around their neighborhoods and yards. There are, however, some people who are referred to as "bear paparazzi" who are nuts about looking and photographing them at Brooks Falls, Alaska. Grizzlies rarely attack humans and you'd have a much better chance of being struck by lightning than eaten by a bear. It's better to be safe than sorry and leave them alone. Even the author received a fair warning from one! The author points out that "grizzly bears and brown bears are the same species," Ursus arctos. Coastal bears have a dark coat and inland ones tend to have grizzled fur. These bears love to eat and will eat salmon and are sometimes known to be dumpster divers. In this book you'll learn about their habitat, their "annual life cycle," their breeding habits, their relationship with their mothers, their social instincts, what they eat (in addition to garbage), their lifespan, why biologists collar grizzlies, where you can safely see them, you'll learn about the special Karelian bear dogs and you'll learn about why they are an endangered species. I have always enjoyed every "Face to Face" book I've read. This one, like all the other ones, has magnificent photographs and is very informative. Scattered throughout the book you'll find some interesting sidebars. For example, you'll find one about "How to NOT get eaten by a grizzly." In the back of the book is a section that tells you how you can help, a "Facts at a Glance" section, a glossary, an index and additional book, article and web site resources. Did you know that a grizzly can gain as much as 200 pounds or more preparing for winter? WOW!