Dedicated To Mylo & Luka the shih tzus. To Luka, for sitting with me while I wrote this story and the inspiration for Ice & to Mylo, for always being there for me and for being a trooper while we brought home Luka. And, lastly, to the nature of things and the other documentries show casing the amazing journey of the polar bear, the inspiration for this book.

In the Northern Mountains, high above the Arctic sea, there lay a brother and sister polar bear, ready to depart on their first journey!

One was named Snow. Snow, much like his name, loved to blend in to the white frosty world around him. Snow was not ready to go on their first adventure. Snow, had a fixed mindset and was worried about all of the different animals that he would encounter on his journey and if they would be friendly, would they hurt him? 

Ice, loved to slide and play. Ice had what they called an open mindset, she was always ready to explore the world around her and loved meeting new creatures like the ones that she would encounter on her journey!

Snow & Ice started their 5 day journey by paw to the arctic ice in search of the first yummy snacks of their lives! 

The siblings started walking, since they were still cubs, they could only walk 10 miles each day, this was going to take a while. 

Ice jumped up and down and happily  through the snow! While Snow, looked around nervously.

"Ice!" Snow suddenly shouted!  "Yes?" Ice said. "Look a wolf! Run!" Ice was running, but not away from the wolf, towards the wolf! "Snow! come here i'm so hungry and that wolf has a seal". "Snow! We can't take down a wolf, we're just cubs and besides, that wolf is huge! " No silly! Let's ask the wolf to share the seal with us!" "Ice, are you out of your mind, wolfs don't share! It might even eat us!" "Snow, come on! Every animal is friendly!" Remember what Grandpa Alfred always says "Our differences are what make us special" "Oh Ice, he meant other polar bears, not wolfs!" "Snow, we have been walking forever, let's get a snack." "Ice, you go, I'm staying right here away  from the wolf" "Okay! I'll be right back"

So, that's what Ice did, she came back 5 minutes later with a massive piece of seal meat! " Ice? How did you get that" Snow questioned. "The wolf was very friendly, his name was Blizzard and he was very nice, he gave me an entire piece of meat!" "No way, wolfs are not friendly, I would have to see it to believe it!" 

Snow & Ice settled down for the night and then woke up the next morning to the bright sunshine smiling in their faces.

“Snow, let’s hop to it, we have a full day of walking, it’ll be so much fun!” “Good morning Ice! 10 miles to go?” “Yes!” Ice responded.”Ice, why don’t we just walk home? This will take so long! And , our den is 10 miles away! If we turn back now, we’ll be back by night.” “Snow. I know that you don’t want to travel far. But this is the only way that we can get food and fill our tummies.” “Fine Ice, but no more stopping!” So, they  journey farther along into the snowy blizzard they called the Arctic and so many creatures called home. 

“I’m sleepy” Ice whined out of the blue. “Ice! We can’t stop again, what if a wolf comes by, or even a huge polar bear and tries to hurt us” “Snow! We have been walking for ½ a day! I need  a break” “Okay Ice! But be careful” “I’m not going to leave you Snow, look there's an Arctic ground Squirrel, let’s ask her if we can rest in her den for a few minutes, just to catch my breath?” “But Ice, I’ve heard that Arctic ground Squirrels eat baby ground squirrels from other colonies, what if they eat us?” “Oh Snow, don’t be scared, we’re way to big for a squirrel to eat us, besides, squirrels are friendly!” “Okay, you can go ask?” “Oh Snow, please come with me this time, pretty please?” “Okay, i’ll come, but let’s not go to close.” So, Ice & Snow ventured on.

“Hello! Welcome to the  greatest Arctic Squirrel colony to ever exist. My name is Skippy!” “Hello Skippy! My name is Ice and this is my brother Snow.” Said Ice as Snow stood behind her and a distance away from the squirrel. “What brings you here?” Skippy asked. “Well, we are on our first journey to sea ice and  we have been walking for 5 miles already! So, we were wondering”- “she, was wondering” Snow corrected “I was wondering if we could take a rest for a few minutes in your colony?” “Of course you can!” Skippy said very excited.And, so they did, after a 20 minute cat nap and a few glances from Snow, they were on there way. After a few more hours of walking, they settled down in a nice fluffy, white pile of snow.

Ice & Snow woke up the next morning in a forest of white snow frosted pine trees which covered them like a roof over their two furry heads.“Wakie, wakie sunshine! Here’s to another day of exploring!” Ice said as she crawled out of her sleeping position. “Good morning, Ice!” Snow said, then asked “Can we go home now? It’s 20 miles to the den?” “Oh Snow, what am I going to do with you? We can’t go home now, we need food!” “Okay, fine, but no and I repeat no more stopping!” “Okay Snowy! Let’s go!”

And, so they went, traveling by paw one paw in front of the other. At exactly 9 miles, Ice & Snow came across the most glorious site that they had ever seen in their lives. A massive plaine, of ice! Snow & Ice saw other polar bears just like them, breaking through the ice looking for food, it was amazing! “Snow! This is amazing!” “Yeah” Snow responded, nervously looking around at the sight of so many polar bears, big and small. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s break some ice!” Ice said, very excitedly, Snow & Ice broke Ice block after Ice block, but there was no food anywhere in site!” “Ice, this is horrible! There’s no way we can find food right now, let’s just give up and go home”. Just as Ice was about to respond, she looked up in the sky and sure enough, Ice’s wheels started turning yet again. “Snow look! A snowy owl, let’s ask him if he can give us a lift, just so that we can survey the area and maybe there will be more food.” “no way”  Snow responded, there was just no way that snow was going to fly alongside a snowy owl! “What if he drops us” “Snowy, lt can’t possibly hurt to ask, can it?” “I suppose not” Snow said reluctantly.