The book is filled with lovable characters, tender friendships, and the harsh realities of polar bear life in the Artic. The main character, Atu, is a young polar bear who is tragically orphaned when his parents are both shot before his eyes. The Eskimos who killed his parents take him home to care for him until he is old enough to be on his own. He forms a deep friendship with an Eskimo child, Komi.

The story highlights the details of his always interesting and sometimes tragic life. Friendships emerge for this compassionate and endearing cub and he grows into an Ice King.

Although the story is over 40 years old, has a highly anthropomorphic take on Atu's character, and sometimes reads a bit "dated;" it is a beautiful story, well-researched, and worth the journey into the past.