85 books like Over in the Arctic

By Connie Roop, Peter Roop,

Here are 85 books that Over in the Arctic fans have personally recommended if you like Over in the Arctic. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Whole Whale

Leah Rose Kessler Author Of Rat Fair

From my list on upbeat humor on doing the right thing.

Why am I passionate about this?

Over my career as an elementary school teacher and a science educator I’ve seen time and time again that no matter the topic, learning happens best when people feel positive and engaged. My favorite books to share with young readers are those that capture their attention–be it with stunning illustrations, unusual information, or hilarious situations–and leave them with a strong emotional connection to the characters or story. Now, as I read oodles of picture books for writing research, I keep an extra special eye out for those that leave me smiling and also make me think. Some of my very favorites are collected for you here.

Leah's book list on upbeat humor on doing the right thing

Leah Rose Kessler Why did Leah love this book?

The Whole Whale is a counting book, a delightful, read-aloud rhyming book, and, at its core, it’s a book about making space for everyone, even when it might seem easier to say, “Sorry, there’s no room for you.” The other 99 animals in the book don’t hesitate to make way for their biggest friend by pushing and shoving until… voilà… they arrive at a special surprise—a double fold-out page big enough to fit all 100 different animals (Seriously! 100!). Talk about a page you and your little one can pore over again and again and find something new every time!

By Karen Yin, Nelleke Verhoeff (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Whole Whale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

One hundred unusual animals try to squeeze into the pages of this raucous rhyming tale. But will there be room to fit a whole blue whale? The humorous ending features an expansive double gatefold and educational endnotes list the 100 animals in the book.


Book cover of Moonlight Prance

Brooke Hartman Author Of Dream Flights on Arctic Nights

From my list on quick rhyming picture books with animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a mom of young kids who love animals, I know firsthand the benefit of finding fun books that are also easy to read, fun to look at, and short enough not to make you flinch when your kids pull them off the shelves during those later bedtime nights.

Brooke's book list on quick rhyming picture books with animals

Brooke Hartman Why did Brooke love this book?

A companion book to Sunrise Dance, this interactive lift-the-flap book will entertain young readers as they read along during a midnight dance in a meadow, and all the animals that come and join the fun. Kids will love making the animals dance along by moving the flaps, plus it’s short enough for when you need that super quick read before a late bedtime.

By Serena Gingold Allen, Teagan White (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Moonlight Prance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this sweet and interactive bedtime read-aloud-with the rollicking rhyme of Sandra Boynton's Barnyard Dance! and the bedtime themes of Sleep Like A Tiger by Mary Logue-young readers can make skunks scamper and possums prance with each push of a durable novelty element.

When you rest your head at night, nocturnal animals awake to dance and play! Push and pull the sturdy tabs to make foxes frolic and hedgehogs hustle in this sweet, interactive tale of nighttime fun.

A charming and interactive bedtime read-aloud, young children will delight in moving the durable novelty elements, making the illustrations transform through their…


Book cover of Sunrise Dance

Brooke Hartman Author Of Dream Flights on Arctic Nights

From my list on quick rhyming picture books with animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a mom of young kids who love animals, I know firsthand the benefit of finding fun books that are also easy to read, fun to look at, and short enough not to make you flinch when your kids pull them off the shelves during those later bedtime nights.

Brooke's book list on quick rhyming picture books with animals

Brooke Hartman Why did Brooke love this book?

A companion book to Moonlight Prance, this interactive lift-the-flap book will entertain young readers as they read along during a sunrise dance in a meadow, and all the animals that come and join the fun. Kids will love making the animals dance along by moving the flaps, plus it’s short enough for when you need that super quick read before a late bedtime.

By Serena Gingold Allen, Teagan White (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sunrise Dance as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Make salmon splash and bear cubs bustle with each push of a durable novelty element in this sweet and interactive morning read-aloud.

When you wake up in the morning, playful animals are starting their day! Push and pull the sturdy tabs to make dragonflies dance and bear cubs bustle in this sweet, interactive tale of morning-time fun.

A charming and interactive bedtime read-aloud, young children will delight in moving the durable novelty elements, making the illustrations transform through their efforts.

FOR FANS OF BARNYARD DANCE!: With rollicking rhyme and dancing animals, this book is perfect for anyone who loves Sandra…


Book cover of Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey

Brooke Hartman Author Of Dream Flights on Arctic Nights

From my list on quick rhyming picture books with animals.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a mom of young kids who love animals, I know firsthand the benefit of finding fun books that are also easy to read, fun to look at, and short enough not to make you flinch when your kids pull them off the shelves during those later bedtime nights.

Brooke's book list on quick rhyming picture books with animals

Brooke Hartman Why did Brooke love this book?

This gentle rhyming book is the perfect book for your child and their best stuffy friend to read just before they drift off to sleep. The imaginative watercolor pictures will stick with you, and children will love finding how each child’s BFFs find their way into dreamland. Bonus? The book is short enough for a quick bedtime story, but has enough of a story for you to read it over and over without making you feel tired, too!

By Emily Winfield Martin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dream Animals as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Take a bedtime journey with the New York Times bestselling author of The Wonderful Things You Will Be and discover the adventures that await while you dream!

You only have to close your eyes
And when you snuggle in….
You’ll be carried to your dream tonight
On wing or paw or fin
 
Snuggle into bed and discover what your dream animal might be and where it could take you! Could it be a bear who brings you to bake pastries? A fox who ushers you into a magical forest? Mermaids with whom you can sip tea?
 
With a perfect nighttime…


Book cover of People of the Deer

TP Wood Author Of 77° North

From my list on stirring your heart and imagination.

Why am I passionate about this?

It’s Saturday, 5 p.m. If you could peer back in time to the late ’60s, you’d find me plunked in front of our new colour RCA Victor, a Swanson TV dinner steaming before me, and the theme…da-da-DAAA-da-da-da-da-DAAAA, announcing my favourite show: Star Trek. I absorbed the logic of Mr. Spock, the passion of Dr. McCoy, and the fantastical world of Klingons, wormholes, and warp drives. Add to that a degree in history and English, and it set the stage for my passion to read and write in genres of science fiction and magical realism. I hope you find these books as stimulating and thought-provoking as I did.  

TP's book list on stirring your heart and imagination

TP Wood Why did TP love this book?

Perseverance, and an unwitting courage against all odds; that’s the essence of Farley Mowat’s People of the Deer.

Mowat’s book immortalizes a small band of Inuit as they traverse the barrens of Canada’s eastern Arctic, enduring starvation, punishing winter conditions, and a sociopolitical system bent on eradicating their five-thousand-year-old culture. This book shattered my perception about how I see myself as a Canadian, and injustices inflicted on indigenous peoples.

Written over seventy years ago, People of the Deer is testament to Mowat’s insight into a travesty that continues to this today, and tells me we still have a long way to go. 

By Farley Mowat,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked People of the Deer as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In 1886, the Ihalmiut people of northern Canada numbered seven thousand by 1946, when Farley Mowat began his two-year stay in the Arctic, the population had fallen to just forty. With them, he observed for the first time the phenomenon that would inspire him for the rest of his life: the millennia-old migration of the Arctic's caribou herds. He also endured bleak, interminable winters, suffered agonizing shortages of food, and witnessed the continual, devastating intrusions of outsiders bent on exploitation. Here, in this classic and first book to demonstrate the mammoth literary talent that would produce some of the most…


Book cover of Ice

Christina Casino Author Of Unforeseen

From my list on throwing you directly into the character's shoes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I enjoy writing fiction. I’ve never been drawn to one genre in particular so because of this my novels seem to fluctuate depending on the mood I am in when writing. I like the flexibility that self-publishing allows—being able to write in whatever genre I want. To not be bound to one. So far, I have written romantic suspense, crime thriller, and fantasy—with the hopes of one day soon writing a good horror story! I always dreamed of writing about the things that I would never see or never do and the things that are just not possible, I think that’s what keeps it exciting for me.

Christina's book list on throwing you directly into the character's shoes

Christina Casino Why did Christina love this book?

Ice is an unexpected journey in the Arctic filled with promises, broken hearts, trolls, ice, and a Polar Bear King. It’s a brilliantly written adventure that will have you wanting more with each sentence. Have you ever thought of falling in love with prince charming? How about with a polar bear? You’ll think twice after reading this!

By Sarah Beth Durst,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

When Cassie was little she thought her mother had been taken prisoner by trolls because of a deal she’d made with the Polar Bear King. Just a fairy tale to soothe a child whose mother had died. But on her eighteenth birthday, the “fairy tale” comes true when the Polar Bear King comes to take Cassie for his bride. Realizing she has the power to save her mother, Cassie makes her own deal with the bear and finds herself on a journey against time, traveling across the brutal Arctic to the land east of the sun and west of the…


Book cover of The Last Bear

Terry Lynn Johnson Author Of Ice Dogs

From my list on featuring an adventurous journey.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve spent my life journey so far in the outdoors of northern Ontario, Canada. Before I became a conservation officer, I worked for twelve years in a wilderness park as a canoe ranger. I also had eighteen sled dogs and taught dogsledding and winter survival. I’ve always been drawn to reading adventure stories, so when I finally became an author (in my forties. It’s never too late), I naturally wrote the kind of books that I grew up reading. Now I love that I get to share my passions with readers.  I hope you find some books of interest on this list and join me on a journey into a new adventure.

Terry's book list on featuring an adventurous journey

Terry Lynn Johnson Why did Terry love this book?

I love books that show a bond between humans and animals. Especially well-researched books. And this story certainly captures it all with a sweet encounter between a lonely polar bear and a girl. Between the environmental tidbits, the plight of polar bears, and also the unique storyline, this book should be on everyone’s radar. 

By Hannah Gold,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Last Bear as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Imagine making friends with a polar bear... The Last Bear is perfect for readers of 8+, beautifully illustrated throughout by Levi Pinfold - winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal and illustrator of Harry Potter 20th anniversary edition covers.

WINNER OF THE 2022 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD
WINNER OF THE 2022 WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR CHILDREN'S FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2022
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2022

"This is an important first novel, important for us, for polar bears, for the planet. It is deeply moving, beautifully told, quite unforgettable." Michael Morpurgo.…


Book cover of The Arctic: A History

Christoffer Petersen Author Of Seven Graves, One Winter

From my list on to read if you want to get to know Greenland.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since reading Jack London’s stories as a child I have been addicted to the far north. I have spent a good chunk of my life exploring the Arctic, including the seven years my wife and I lived in Greenland. I worked as a teacher in remote settlements. Jane worked in medical centres and small hospitals. We experienced life in Greenland from all angles. While in Greenland, I read for a Master of Arts in Professional Writing. Since returning to Denmark I draw on my experiences to shape crime and thriller stories through which I hope to bring Greenland to life. I am English. I often pretend to be Danish.

Christoffer's book list on to read if you want to get to know Greenland

Christoffer Petersen Why did Christoffer love this book?

Not only is Vaughan’s book full of history and exciting and romantic names, it is the perfect introduction to a fabulous part of the world, and a snapshot of what once was, and what might never be again, as the Arctic is subject to constant change–climatically and politically. This is another well-thumbed book of mine. It is a go-to book for facts and details. It’s not a page-turner, but more of a returner–I imagine many readers, like me, returning to this book with a query to be answered, or a historical itch to be scratched. 

By Richard Vaughan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Arctic as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Arctic surrounds the North Pole. Russia, whose shores stretch approximately half way round the northern hemisphere, takes the lion's share in the territory but the United States, Canada and Denmark have their stakes too. Those who inhabit the densely packed ice, however, remain largely unconcerned by national claims and political boundaries. Today the Arctic, neither a continent nor a nation, has become one of the last contested lands on earth. Richard Vaughan focuses on the human inhabitants of the Arctic and their struggle for existence in one of the most inhospitable areas of the world from the Stone Age…


Book cover of The Ends of the Earth: An Anthology of the Finest Writing on the Arctic and the Antarctic

Karen Oslund Author Of Iceland Imagined: Nature, Culture, and Storytelling in the North Atlantic

From my list on why anyone would want to freeze in the Arctic.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in Los Angeles, California, which is frequently imagined as well as experienced. As a child, we lived by the beach and in the foothills of Angeles National Forest. The leaps of faith you make in this landscape were always clear: earthquakes, wildfires, and mudslides occur regularly. The question asked often about the Arctic: “why on earth do people live there?” applies also to California: life in beautiful landscapes and seascapes is risky. Then, I made my first trip to Iceland alone in 1995, and have now been to Iceland ten times, Greenland twice, and Nayan Mar, above the Russian Arctic Circle, each time with fascination.

Karen's book list on why anyone would want to freeze in the Arctic

Karen Oslund Why did Karen love this book?

If you can’t decide which of the many long stories of polar expeditions to read, this one is for you!

This book is a selection from the stories of the famous Arctic explorers: John Franklin, Roald Asmussen, Fridtjof Nansen. If you flip the book around and turn it upside down, you get a selection of Antarctic explorers of the same caliber, which is a brilliant design. 

By Elizabeth Kolbert (editor), Francis Spufford (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ends of the Earth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A beautiful literary anthology published to commemorate the International Polar Year―and remind us what we're in danger of losing.

The Arctic and Antarctic ice shelves have been an object of obsession for as long as we've known they existed. Countless explorers, including such legends as Richard Byrd, Ernest Shackleton, and Robert Falcon Scott, have risked their lives to chart their frozen landscapes. Now, for the first time in human history, we are in legitimate danger of seeing polar ice dramatically shrink, break apart, or even disappear. The Ends of the Earth, a collection of the very best writing on the…


Book cover of Farthest North: The Epic Adventure of a Visionary Explorer

Tyler LeBlanc Author Of Acadian Driftwood: One Family and the Great Expulsion

From my list on making you never want to step foot on a boat again.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up on the tip of a peninsula jutting out into the raging Atlantic ocean. Both of my grandfathers spent their lives at sea. The power, and fear, that the ocean inspires has been a constant in my life, and most recently while working on Acadian Driftwood. Spending years working on a story so closely tied to tragedy, and the sea, I’ve consumed a lot of nautical disaster stories. While not everything on the list is a disaster (Nansen got his ship stuck in the ice on purpose) each story will make you rethink whether you ever want to head out to sea.  

Tyler's book list on making you never want to step foot on a boat again

Tyler LeBlanc Why did Tyler love this book?

Years before Shackleton and his crew became locked in the ice in Antarctica, Fridtjof Nansen his crew, and more than one hundred dogs got their ship stuck at the opposite end of the earth. But they did it on purpose. Before the modern understanding of oceanic currents, Nansen proposed that if he let his ship become locked in the polar ice, he and his crew would drift, very slowly, all the way to the North Pole. Three years later he and one other emerged shipless, frozen, and covered in walrus skin on a rocky island above the arctic circle. His ship? Safely on its way back to Norway. What happened in-between is almost unbelievable. 

By Fridtjof Nansen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Farthest North as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"If Outside magazine had been around during the first turn of the century, Fridtjof Nansen would have been its No. 1 cover boy." The Chicago Sun-Times In September of 1893, Norwegian zoologist Fridtjof Nansen and crew manned the schooner Fram, intending to drift, frozen in the Arctic pack-ice, to the North Pole. When it became clear that they would miss the pole, Nansen and companion Hjalmar Johansen struck off by themselves. Racing the shrinking pack-ice, they attempted, by dog-sled, to go "farthest north." They survived a winter in a moss hut eating walruses and polar bears, and the public assumed…


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