Hannah Gold (text) and Levi Pinfold (illustrator), Finding Bear, HarperCollins Australia, January 2024, 352 pp., RRP $19.99 (hbk), ISBN 9780008582012
Finding Bear is the captivating sequel to the extraordinary bestselling and award-winning The Last Bear. Superbly illustrated by Levi Pinfold, it’s ideal for readers 8+
Its’s exactly seventeen months since April Wood has returned from her adventure on Bear Island, and Bear is constantly in her thoughts.
Hearing that a polar bear has been shot and injured in Svalbard, April is certain that it is her friend Bear. Eventually she persuades her dad to accompany her to the northernmost regions of the Arctic. And so, begins a remarkable trek across the frozen Arctic landscape.
April, however, makes an unexpected discovery – an undernourished tiny polar bear cub, seriously in need of her help. To save him, April must negotiate the unforgiving terrain of the Arctic, the freezing temperatures, and her own sense of dread.
Finding Bear is a magical story of courage, determination, and hope. Whilst reading Finding Bear, I had a brief sense of the incredulous friendship that had been forged between a little girl and a wild polar bear; however, this cynicism was squashed by the beautifully written story of survival against all odds and a palpable tale of love, devotion, and connectedness that shows the birth of hope from the tiniest of beginnings.
Hannah Gold, the award-winning author of children’s books, has enchanted readers with her captivating stories that celebrate our planet and its creatures. She is a gifted and inspirational writer full of heart, love for her characters and a passion for the environment. And her message about the Earth and its precious animals’ future is strong and powerful.
With glistening frozen glaciers and luminescent aurora borealis, illustrator Levi Pinfold has created yet another spellbinding cover illustration for this book.
If there are any teachers reading this who are looking for a new text with strong environmental themes and links to the Arctic, this is the book for you. Teaching Resources are available for all Gold’s books at her website.
Finding Bear is a magical reading experience.
Reviewed by Julie Deane