Book Title: Luna (available here)
Author: Holly Webb
Illustrator: Jo Anne Davies
Publisher: Stripes
Publication Date: September 2020
Most Suitable For: Years 2-4
Reviewed By: Marion Park
A magical, heart-warming story that reminds us about the importance of working together and trying our very best to achieve our goal.
When Hannah visits a Christmas market in Dresden with her family, she is drawn to the sights, sounds and yummy smells that surround her. She falls in love with a handmade dancing bear puppet from one of the stalls and spends all of her pocket money on it. That night, when the bear is broken during a squabble with her younger sister, Hannah cries herself to sleep. In the middle of the night, Hannah is woken by a growling sound and finds herself locked in a stable with a real bear cub. She meets Matthias, a young boy from outside the city, and together they embark on an adventure as they try to save this bear from her captors. How will two small children save a growing bear cub? How will they escape the city walls in time and without attracting attention? Will Hannah get back to her family?
As the pair work together to do what they believe is right, we are taken along on their journey. The message of the power of friendship is evident throughout. It is a lovely read; my 6-year-old really enjoyed it and it is probably best suited for readers aged 6-9. For use in the classroom, this book would be a good starting point for discussions on animals in circuses (the bears are kept captive so that they can dance for paying audiences), whether it is right to keep wild animals in captivity and whether it is justifiable to do something wrong if it is for a good reason. .
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You can order Luna online or from an independent bookshop.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending us a review copy of this book and to our Review Panel member for reviewing it.
Where next?
> Visit our Reading for Pleasure Hub
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> View our printable year group booklists.
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