Publisher's Weekly Review
Twelve-year-old Stella faces several challenges: her white skin and hair set her apart from the black, brown, and pink people who populate her community, and the Polar Bear Explorer's Club, which she desperately wants to join, does not allow female members. Stella's adoptive father, Felix, found her abandoned as an infant, and, aside from puzzling scenes in the nightmares she suffers, Stella has no memories of her birth family. When Felix, a renowned explorer, flouts the rules and takes Stella on a joint expedition with the Polar Bear and Ocean Squid Explorers' Clubs to venture to the coldest part of the Icelands, her adventure begins. After she and three other Junior Explorers are separated from the group, they navigate harrowing encounters-including one with "frosties," small fairy-like creatures capable of causing killer frostbite-and the even more vexing process of learning to work together. Bell (Frozen Charlotte) meticulously crafts her world, and detailed illustrations perfectly complement the tale. Celebrating kindness and belief in oneself, this satisfying series starter sheds light on Stella's past just in time to look forward to a second expedition. Ages 8-12. (Nov.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Stella Starflake Pearl, twelve, gets the opportunity of a lifetime when her adoptive father decides to break tradition and bring her on an expedition with the male-only Polar Bear Explorer's Club. Danger, adventure, and wonder await as Stella and several other junior explorers are separated from the group and must learn to survive. Bell has created a magical steampunk world--a gentler Golden Compass, if you will. (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
As Stella Starflake Pearl comes of age, she wants more than anything to be a Polar Bear Explorer like her father, Felix, not the proper lady her aunt would have her be. Unfortunately, only boys are allowed to become explorers. Bolstered by her father's unconventional beliefs, Stella defies the rules and joins Felix on an upcoming expedition, where she must prove herself or risk being kicked out of the Polar Bear Explorers' Club. Besides being under pressure to succeed, Stella faces the realities of what being an explorer really means, particularly after a bridge collapse separates her and three others from the group. As they journey through the Icelands, they encounter magical creatures, like frosties (ice fairies), yeti, and unicorns, and eventually stumble upon an ice castle that holds many surprises and dangers. This first book in Bell's new series is full of magic and adventure, and its empowering message will resonate with anyone who has been barred from following their dreams. Though final art was unseen, illustrations by Tomic further enhance the story.--Tiffany Flowers Copyright 2018 Booklist