The Snow Bear by Holly Webb (Children's, 5 years +, 10E/10E)

1st October 2012, Stripes
162 pages, Hardback
Review copy

Themes: family life, new baby, relation between grandfather & granddaughter, life in the Arctic, igloos of different sizes, polar bears, wolves, huskies, sadness at being apart from family, strange dreams, the Northern Lights, cuteness alert

Summary from Stripes Publishing

As the snow begins to fall just days before Christmas, Grandad helps Sara build an igloo in the garden with a small snow bear to watch over it. 

And when Sara wakes in the middle of the night, it looks very different outside. She sets out on an enchanted journey through a world of ice, but will she ever find her way home...

Nayuleska's thoughts
Awww! I fell in love with the cute front cover, and as expected adored the book. The illustrations have the aww factor all the time. 

I enjoyed the way Sara's grandfather tried so hard to make her stay happier. His love for her jumps out from the page. Sara tries to be brave and not miss her mother but it gets to the point she can't hide it any more. I was in tears at several points in the book, especially when Sara was crying with the bears watching over her. This sentimental read which introduces Inuit customs - which can seem strange to outsiders - reaches out to my heart making it a solid 10/10.

Check out more from Holly on her website - I've only just twigged who Holly is! I adored one of her books Rose, which I haven't reviewed yet. I think her covers are awesome, with the kind of graphics I like. I'm so going to check out more of her books when I can! 

Suggested read

For more a tale with strange goings on check out Lob by Linda Newbury