Shirley Woods

Tooga: Story of a Polar Bear Shirley Woods 1st edition

A Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice selection, 2005

Shortlisted for the 2006 Alberta Children's Choice Book Award

During a cold November blizzard on the coast of northern Labrador, a female polar bear heads inland to find a suitable den to give birth to her young. Soon Tooga and his sister Apoon are born, and several months go by before the little ones venture outside of the protection of the den. But although they can now depend on their mother for everything, over the next year the young polar bears have much to learn before they can live on their own.

When Tooga is ready to hunt for himself, he wanders farther away from his mother and sister - out onto the pack ice where the seals congregate. But when he heads inland again, he discovers nothing but water in every direction. The pack ice has broken up and Tooga is on a huge ice floe and drifting south. By the time the floe finds land again, the young polar bear is 500 miles from home. Confused and starving, Tooga must find his way back through an unfamiliar landscape, and face a new threat he has never encounter before - man.