Polly loves animals and will do everything she can to look after them, and rescue them from trouble - and she can talk to them, too.

She has a good friend Stan who works at Happy Days Zoo and she helps there when she can. It's rather run down and the animals are old and tired. The owner Mr Snell isn't a very nice man. But his wife is worse... One day she buys a bear cub, thinking that it will prove a popular attraction and boost their visitor numbers. But the little bear has been taken from his family who live in the nearby wild wood. Polly needs to take him back to his home but it's a dangerous task.

This is such a lovely story. It's perfectly paced with plenty of jeopardy, malevolent characters and sinister intentions, but also an overwhelming sense of goodness, courage and honour. The illustrations on every page are just glorious. You feel you could cuddle Booboo the bear and Polly and Stan are incredibly expressive while being so simply drawn. I found it completely mesmerising, joyful and uplifting and was sorry to come to the end. Here's hoping there will be further adventures for Polly Pecorino!