The frozen wastes of the North and South Pole have always had a peculiar fascination for the rest of the world. Even the most scientific reports from these areas sound like the tall tales of a storyteller. For example, weather men have recorded Arctic temperatures as high as 100º in the shade and as low as 94º below zero. And bird-watchers testify that one Arctic bird flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back as part of its regular schedule. During the short hot summer, Arctic farmers have raised cabbages weighing 20 to 30 pounds. And visitors to the Arctic are held spellbound by the fantastic colors of the so-called Northern Lights.

What makes it possible to have such extremes in the Arctic and Antarctic? How have scientists learned these extraordinary facts about the ends of the earth? These are typical questions answered by Armstrong Sperry in All About the Arctic and Antarctic. With maps and dozens of illustrations to supplement the text, he has given a scientific report of weather conditions, rock and land formations, ocean currents, and plant and animal life at the North and South Pole. The facts of this book are amazing. The overall story is one that will be fascinating to readers of all ages.

From the book