When the Sun Shines on Antarctica: And Other Poems about the Frozen Continent
WHEN THE SUN ANTARCTICA SHINES ON And Other Poems about the Frozen Continent Irene Latham illustrated by Anna Wadhams Mr mILLBROOK PREss minnE APOLIS
WHEN THE SUN SHINes ON antarctica Icebergs brighten as the sky peels itself of darkness and stretches awake Glaciers murmur Penguins reunite and seals rouse from slumber Whales breach and blow waves rush and slush against shifting ice shelves Welcome Summer We've been waiting for
Positioned at the bottom of the world Antarctica is the coldest continent It s basically an island cloaked in ice Summer lasts from when the sun rises in October to when it sets in March like one very long day Temperatures during this time usually stay well below freezing allowing Antarctica's wildlife to feed and breed Although the continent has no permanent human residents each year several thousand scientists travel there to conduct research Climate change is an important area of study as rising temperatures cause Antarctica's surface ice to melt This melting has the potential to affect weather worldwide to cause flooding along Earth's coastal areas and to disrupt the entire planets
