Our Rating:
Library Formats:
Book, eBook, eAudiobook
Age Group:
8+
Genre:
Friendship
Review by Polly Read
The Last Bear is about eleven year old April Wood who travels to an icy barren island off Norway called Bear Island with her father. Her dad is a meteorologist (someone who studies weather) and they are both going to be on the island for six months where her dad is working recording the weather.
Although the island is called Bear island, there are actually no polar bears on it, so April’s dad says. This is because of the melted sea ice that has happened around the island. One day though, April thinks that she sees a lonely looking polar bear far in the distance. So when April goes to explore the island and finds a starving and injured polar bear, April decides to try and help it back to health. She gains the bear’s trust with peanut butter and a lot of courage, as Bear is a magnificent and wild dangerous animal. After a time Bear regains his strength. However as Bear is the last polar bear on the island he is very lonely. April is determined to get Bear to Svalbard, an island that is still populated by polar bears, so he can be happy and make friends with his own kind.
I read this book as I have read Bear Rescue, a World Book Day book that is a short story involving April and Bear, so I wanted to know where the story began. In have also been to Noway before, where the story is set and it’s one of my favourite countries.
I thought this was a very good book. I especially liked the powerful bond and level of trust between Bear and April as they become best of friends through-out the story. The story shows that having animal friends is a great thing to have. I liked how the the story is also about climate change and the terrible effect it’s having on the planet. Like the melting snow and ice and on the Arctic wildlife. This something that we all need to try and protect. One of the quote in the book that stood out is “But if every single person on the planet did one thing?”
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys adventurous stories involving animals, especially polar bears and has a passion for saving the planet. The book is quite easy to read and has a recommended reading age of eight plus years that are confidant readers. Although there are plans for a picture book of The Last Bear for younger readers.
I would give this book a five out of a five star rating.