The Last Bear by Hannah Gold

 

There are no polar bears left on Bear Island. At least, that’s what April’s father tells her when his scientific research takes them to this remote Arctic outpost for six months. But one endless summer night, April meets one. He is starving, lonely and a long way from home. Determined to save him, April begins the most important journey of her life…

This moving story will win the hearts of children the world over and show them that no one is too young or insignificant to make a difference. The Last Bear is a celebration of the love between a child and an animal, a battle cry for our world and an irresistible adventure with a heart as big as a bear’s.

---

What a fabulous book.

This has the feel of the very best Michael Morpurgo stories. There's a wonderful message, but it's not so obvious that kids will put the book down in disgust. April is a brilliant character, brave, determined and knows her own mind. Bear, as a character, is great too. I cried at the end. (That keeps happening lately! Maybe I need to pick different types of books?)

My copy sadly didn't have the illustrations included, apart from one or two samples, but it's enough to see that they're going to be amazing. I can't wait to see the whole thing, and I'll update this at that point.

This is going to be an amazing book, a great seller, and it absolutely deserves it.



The Last Bear publishes on the 18th February, 2021.