Hope For The Future
Inspiring Young Readers to Care for a Changing Planet
by Jane Dugan & Esther Meerschaut
Animals / Bears (Juvenile Fiction), Nature & the Natural World / Environment, People & Places / Indigenous (JF), Science & Nature / Environmental Science & Ecosystems, Nature / Environmental Conservation & ProtectionPublished: 4 March 2026
A children's book following Polaris the polar bear through a changing Arctic. Written by Jane Dugan and Esther Meerschaut, it teaches grades 2-3 students about the food chain, ecological interconnectedness, and personal environmental responsibility. Inspired by First Nations polar bear legends from Canada, where the polar bear is known as Ice Man — protector of the magnetic field and the ice.