Cherry once again builds a unique world populated with talking animals who buzz with personality, making Dean and Reese’s quest educational—and just plain fun. Snowy, an aptly named snowy owl, is surprised to find out that animals don’t talk where Dean and Reese are from, and sled dogs Timber and Patch warn the siblings to be on the lookout for rogue dogs who are itching to help out the pirates. Tutu also gets her fair share of laughs, as she spends the majority of the story incessantly asking for treats at every opportunity.

Cherry keeps the adventure lively but informative, covering dog-sled teams at work and lessons on dinosaur life in the Arctic, and even Dean and Reese’s enemies come with a lighter side: this time around, the pirates are a trio of female social influencers, seemingly more focused on taking selfies than on stealing the park’s map. As the siblings try to outsmart them, they must use problem-solving, math, and reading skills to work their way through entertaining activities like ice mazes and virtual reality games, all while Dean seeks to lighten the mood with a dizzying array of jokes and the more level-headed Reese strives to keep the mission on task. Cherry closes with entertaining facts and discussion prompts for Arctic fans.

Takeaway: Educational adventure transports a brother and sister duo to the Arctic.

Comparable Titles: Dan Bar-el's The Very, Very Far North, Gary Paulsen's Northwind.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A