Review: The Last Bear (The Last Bear #1)

April’s father is sent to Bear Island in the Arctic Circle to monitor and record the weather for six months. April is thrilled. She is unhappy at school because the other kids tease her for being different and liking animals and she sees this time on a lonely island as an opportunity for her to spend more time with her father. Since her mother’s death when she was four, her father has withdrawn into his work, barely acknowledging April’s existence. “Her father hadn’t remarried and it showed in the house. It was tall and thin and looked ever so slightly unhappy around the edges, and inside it always felt cold.’

Unfortunately, April’s father again loses himself to his work, and April is left to her own devices. She is disappointed but resolves to explore the island. They have been told there are no polar bears left on the island since the ice flows have melted - imagine April’s shock when she discovers a lone bear at Walrus Bay. She sees that he is injured - a piece of plastic is wound around his leg, causing his paw to swell. April knows she has a special relationship with animals, but facing a bear who could easily eat her is terrifying. After a sleepless night where ‘she tossed and turned, pulled this way and that by the currents in her heart’ she resolves to cut the bear free.

And so a special relationship develops between April and Bear. He grows to trust her, and together they explore the island. April is happier than she has ever been since losing her mother. But as the months pass, she realizes that Bear needs to return to the mainland to be with the rest of the polar bears. How can April help him get there?

This book is delightful. It gently explores grief and loneliness and the impact of climate change on the habitat of polar bears. The author shows that one little girl can indeed make a difference.

Special mention must be made of the gorgeous illustrations by Levi Pinfold that bring Bear and April to life.

Hannah has included a brief list of resources for readers who would like to know more about polar bears and other endangered species.

This is a must-have addition to all school libraries and would make a perfect gift for a sensitive, animal-loving child.

WINNER OF THE 2022 BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD
WINNER OF THE 2022 WATERSTONES CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR AT THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS 2022
SHORTLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARDS 2022

Recommended for readers aged 8+.

• Review
• Hannah Gold