Polly Pecorino: The Girl Who Rescues Animals; Emma Chichester Clark

Are you brave to enough to enter Wild Bear Woods?

Polly Pecorino is a rescuer of animals. She is able to talk to them too! Whilst helping her Uncle Stan out at the Happy Days Zoo, she uncovers that the zoo’s despicable owners, Mr and Mrs. Snell, have stolen a bear cub from the woods in order to make money. Polly is determined to reunite the terrified cub with its parents. But no-one ever enters Wild Bear Woods because rumours are that the bears will eat anyone that does…

A child with a love for animals must get the better of two cruel and incompetent zoo owners in Emma Chichester Clark’s debut children’s novel. Already being billed as a future classic, children - and many adults - will fall in love with Booboo the bear and his new best friend who will go to any lengths to help him find his way back to where he truly belongs.

Polly, who has courage and kindness by the bucketload, is a wonderful protagonist with a gift that most children would love to have. Immediately relatable, every child who loves and cares about animals will be rooting for her and Booboo from the moment they first meet. The villains, and Polly’s adversaries, are cold-hearted, selfish and greedy. Unlike Polly, the Snells - who inherited the zoo - are not animal-lovers and had me scowling and raging with their treatment of the animals in their care.

With beautiful storytelling that promotes kindness and compassion towards all living creatures and featuring some truly gorgeous illustrations, Polly Pecorino is utterly delightful. It is a real heart-warming bear-hug of a book with a most cleverly crafted twist at the end. Exploring themes of animal welfare, the purpose of zoos - who are they really for, and the dangerous narrative of Fake News, Chichester Clark offers up plenty of conversation topics.

Will have children desperately hoping to meet bears that may be hiding out in the woods.

Recommended for 7+.