About Habitats: Polar Regions, by Cathryn Sill, illustrated by John Sill; Peachtree Publishers, $16.95, 32 pages, ages 2-7.

Barack Obama made history this week as the first American president to cross the Arctic Circle. Stopping in places like Kotzebue, Alaska, the trip highlighted the administration’s efforts to help coastal fishing communities battle climate change and to also spread the word on rapidly rising oceans and temperatures. In recognition of his visit, today’s book About Habitats: Polar Regions is a perfect invitation for young explorers to learn about the Arctic and Antarctica. Husband-and-wife duo Cathryn and John Sill’s award-winning About Habitat series offers simple explanations of complex ecosystems with short, declarative sentences in large font. (Mrs. Sill was an elementary school teacher for three decades, so she has a pretty good idea of what grabs young minds.) John Sill’s wildlife paintings are striking and inviting, and each painting is accompanied by plate descriptions in the afterword. The whole is rounded out by a glossary, bibliography, and websites. The delicate flora and fauna of the polar regions are on the front lines of climate change, and this book will serve as a powerful, beautiful inspiration to budding scientists.