The Last Bear by Hannah Gold illustrated by Levi Pinfold

April and her father move to Bear Island. In the past there were polar bears on the island as the name implies but with global warming all of the bears have long ago disappeared. The nearest land is 400km away and there are no longer any ice flows so polar bears cannot come to the island. 

Wait a minute. I said there were no polar bears on Bear Island but you can, of course, see from the cover, that there is a bear on Bear Island. April and her father are alone in this remote place. Her scientist father is busy with his task of measuring weather conditions and so April is left to wander around the island on her own. Her father is quite a distant figure because he is carrying so much grief over the death, some years ago, of his wife and April's mother.

April does indeed find the last polar bear. He is in bad shape and starving. It is at this point the story becomes slightly fantastical as we watch April befriend the bear, feed the bear, roar with the bear and even allow him to lick her face! The biggest issue for April, after she discovers the reality of global warming and the consequences for her new friend, is how to return Bear to Svalbard where there are many other polar bears.

The Last Bear is a heartwarming story of friendship, determination, kindness, animal human relationships, healing and courage. I think it will be enjoyed by readers aged 9+ especially children who love animals and who care about our planet. It would be terrific to begin reading this book on 27th February which is International Polar Bear Day.

Polar Bears International 

The Last Bear is a debut novel for Hannah Gold. This book will be published next week on 17th February. Thanks goes to Beachside Bookshop for my Advance Reader copy.

Beautifully illustrated by Levi Pinfold, The Last Bear invites readers to care about the science behind the fate of an endangered species and to believe in one girl’s magical solution to the problem. Julia Eccleshare Love Reading 4 Kids

My advance copy of The Last Bear did not contain the illustrations by Levi Pinfold. They do look quite spectacular.

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. Tring Book Festival

After reading or during your reading of this book you will want to find other books about Polar Bears in your school library.  Here are many worth finding collected by my friend at Kinderbookboard and the blog  Kinderbookswitheverything.

You might also look for Seekers The quest begins by Erin Hunter.

I have added this one to my "to read" list. I adore the art of Jackie Morris: