Freya & Zoose
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- £6.49
Publisher Description
Fans of Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan will treasure this timeless tale about a magnificent adventure to the North Pole and the even more astounding feat of true friendship. A perfect purchase for animal and adventure lovers alike.
Freya has always craved--and feared--adventure. Traipsing all over the world is simply not what dignified rockhopper penguins do. But when she hears about Captain Salomon August Andrée's hot-air balloon expedition to the North Pole, Freya packs her copy of Hints to Lady Travellers and hops on board.
Only moments after leaving land, Freya discovers a fellow stowaway! Meet Zoose, the scrappy, uncouth mouse whose endless wisecracks and despicable manners make him a less-than-ideal travel companion.
When the hot-air balloon is forced to land in the Arctic, these polar opposites must learn how to get along. Their very survival depends on it.
Debut author Emily Butler spins wonder and whimsy and Jennifer Thermes contributes over fifty black-and-white illustrations to bring this enchanting friendship tale to life.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An etiquette-obsessed penguin and a vagabond mouse accompany Swedish air balloonist S.A. Andr e on his ill-fated journey to the North Pole. Ready for an adventure after being stranded alone for over a year, Swedish penguin Freya stows away with a group that plans to travel to the North Pole via hot air balloon. But she is not alone mouse Zoose, a scrappy Londoner, has been "living in this basket ever since they built it." Freya finds the mouse "vulgar," but as the balloon loses altitude and the group switches to sledges, the two slowly bond. Freya saves Zoose after they end up in a meltwater pool, and Zoose returns the favor after a polar bear mauls Freya. The animals continue their journey, telling stories about their past, tagging after the humans, and meeting a "blindingly beautiful" snow fox, who enraptures the animals but misrepresents herself. As Andr e and his team face grave danger and eventually die, Freya and Zoose realize that their future lies together. History and animal friendship combine to form a touching, if strange, travel narrative. Ages 8 12.
