The Last Bear by Hannah Gold (review)

Gold, Hannah The Last Bear. HarperCollins, 2021 [288p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063041073 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063041080 $8.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-6

When her scientist father gets a job tracking the weather on Bear Island north of Norway, eleven-year-old April hopes time together could help close the yawning chasm between them since her mother's death. Unfortunately, Dad retreats into his work; left to her own devices, April befriends a giant polar bear, the only one of its kind left on the island. After nursing Bear back to health from an injured claw, April spends the next few months exploring with her ursine friend. As her time on the island closes, she knows Bear has to go further north to survive and sets out on a makeshift boat to bring him to the Svalbard islands, a known haven for polar bears. There's no magic to Bear and April's rapport beyond her natural affinity for animals, so the book requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, but it's a wondrous possibility that will likely keep young readers engaged. The strained relationship between daughter and dad is believably complex, with both parties alone in their grief, and the book gives sympathy but not absolution to her father's neglect. A gradual buildup to the inevitable commentary about climate change balances a sense of gentleness with urgency, acknowledging the feelings of hopelessness it can cause ("It's like we're up against a huge wall, and so sometimes it's easier to do nothing and hope someone else will sort it out") but also pointing to action it might inspire. An author's note about Bear Island, the polar bear population, and the effects of melting sea ice is included.