Another book of adventures on the island of Serendib and Nizrana Farookz has done it again. A wonderful story, full of rich description about the island, the landscape and the forests so that you feel like you there and that it is real. Nuwan decides to take his brother's place taking some library books to a monk who lives in the King's city. His brother is ill but his parents don't think Nuwan is old enough to go. At the library he witnesses a special, long lost key being handed over to a ceremonial procession to return it to the Queen where elephants will carry it and stop at all the villages along the way. Nuwan finds another key hidden in a book at the library and realises the one on the elephants is fake. Soon he finds himself on the run and in a race against the elephant procession to return the key go the Queen so he is not considered the thief. He takes refuge in a cave and realises it is inhabited by a bear, but not just any bear...Karadi, the bear families threaten their children with if they are bad. Nuwan and Karadi travel together to the King's compound, encountering danger and excitement along the way, whilst trying to evade capture by the people who want the key back. Short, fast paced chapters and intriguing endings that make you want to read the next chapter will appeal to lots of children. This makes a wonderful 4th book to the animal series and if you haven't read The Girl who Stole and Elephant, The Boy Who Met a Whale and The Girl who Lost a Leopard then they are a must. There is a wonderful nod to them all at the end...the brave heroes of Serendib!

What a wonderful return to the island of Serendib! Farook has nailed another environmentally conscious escapade, this time between Nuwan, a young and overlooked boy, and Karadi, a seemingly fierce and deadly sloth bear.

Farook’s books are perfect for a Year 4+ audience and The Boy Who Saved a Bear is no exception. The plot is interesting and engaging, the characters likeable and the messages about how we treat animals - and indeed the world around us - clear. Fans of Farook will enjoy the references to previous characters and stories littered throughout.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Boy Who Saved a Bear and look forward to adding a copy to my classroom bookshelf. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.