The Journey Home

By Author / Illustrator

Frann Preston-Gannon

Genre

Environment

Age range(s)

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN

9781843652090

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

15-10-2012

Synopsis

"A thought-provoking story with a powerful message about conservation" The Guardian The ice is melting so Polar Bear sets off in search of a new home. Join him on his adventures across the seas and discover the many friends he meets along the way. This beautifully illustrated story has a powerful message of conservation and is full of things for parents and children to talk about.

Frann was the winner of an amazing Sendak Fellowship and spent a month living with the great Maurice Sendak himself at his home in Connecticut, USA. She worked on The Journey Home during her stay.

Reviews

To escape the melting sea-ice, Polar Bear sets off to find a new home. What he does find is a collection of new friends who join him in also looking for a new home. With a strong environmental theme, The Journey Home asks its readers to consider the impact humans are having on the natural world.

There are some great discussions to be had about the habitats of the creatures, and where is the best place for them to live. The text ties in nicely with the KS1 science national curriculum.

Fran has a distinctive style of illustrating this book, with almost cartoon-like animals, coloured in such detail that the creatures almost look as if they could leap off the page. The sea swirls on the page.

Picture book / Reviewed by Sharon Porter, teacher