5 Fun Facts about Polar Bears, Penguins, and Other Mysterious Animals of the Extreme Cold

Enslow author Anna Maria Rodriguez's new book, Polar Bears, Penguins, and Other Mysterious Animals of the Extreme Cold gives us a glimpse into the world of the unusual animals that live near the north and south poles. Since Polar Bears, Penguins, and Other Mysterious Animals of the Extreme Cold will be released soon, I'd like to share a 5 interesting facts from the book:

1. Polar bears spend so much time swimming and on ice floes that they are actually considered marine mammals. If you translate their scientific name, Ursus maritimus, you'll see that it means "Sea Bear".

2. The Antarctic cod has special proteins, called peptides, that prevent it from freezing.

3. Adult male polar bears will usually not hibernate during the winter.

4. Scientists have located major emperor penguin colonies by taking satelite images of Antarctica and looking for areas stained by penguin guano.

5. Polar bears will sometimes show signs of frustration when they lose a seal that they have been hunting.

If you still can't get enough information about these Extreme Animals, check out the book here:

Polar Bears, Penguins, and Other Mysterious Animals of the Extreme Cold

Check out the series here:

Extreme Animals in Extreme Environments

New Extreme Animals series

Available in January 2012 will be a new series, geared toward reluctant readers, titled Extreme Animals in Extreme Environments. Each of these 48-page titles, illustrated with color photographs, goes into detail about a different environment. Deserts, the darkest caves, the deepest seas, and the extreme cold are covered in the individual titles. Each title also includes a hands-on activity. Reluctant readers are sure to enjoy these!

Today would have been Edward Jenner's birthday

Edward Jenner Conqueror of Smallpox
Author: Ana María Rodríguez
ISBN-13: 978-0-7660-2504-2

Publication Year: 2006
Interest Level: Grades 5-up
Page Count: 128

In the eighteenth century, when Edward Jenner lived, people all over the world lived in fear of a disease called smallpox. Thanks to Jenner’s pioneering use of vaccination, the disease would eventually be eradicated. The last known case of smallpox was finally isolated in 1977. By 1980, the disease was declared completely eliminated. Edward Jenner’s work with smallpox opened a new era in medicine, providing hope for humanity by showing that diseases could be fought and eventually defeated.