LUNA BY HOLLY WEBB AND ILLUSTRATED BY JO ANNE DAVIES

Hannah and her family are on holiday in Dresden and on the night they arrive, they go to visit the famous Christmas Markets. There are so many things to look at as the snow gently falls around them. Hannah sees a wooden figure of a bear and is immediately drawn to him. He looks angry and scared at the same time. When the stall owner makes the bear puppet dance, Hannah falls in love.

Later, when she is back in her cosy hotel and settling down to sleep, Hannah’s little sister takes her puppet out of his bag and starts to play with him. Hannah is angry and they have a fight. The bear is broken and Hannah cries herself to sleep.

During the night she has a strange experience. She wakes up to find herself dressed in old fashioned clothes and back in a time before the Christmas Market even existed. She is in a stable next to a small bear cub with an angry big bear in the next stall. She meets a boy called Matthias and together they plan a daring rescue. Can they steal Luna away from her cruel captors? Can they find their way safely back to Matthias’ village? And most importantly, can Hannah find her way back to her own time.

Holly Webb weaves a magical atmosphere into this story for early readers and Hannah and Matthias come to life with the illustrations of Jo Anne Davies. Together they have created a tale of adventure and open young readers up to the world of animal cruelty in a way that is safe and not confrontational. It is a lovely read and will be enjoyed by Holly Webb fans.

For Ages: 6-9 years

Number of Pages: 192 in hardback form.

Published: September 2020

Themes: Bravery, coping with adversity and friendships

Rating: 3.5/5                                    

I wish: that I could visit the Christmas Markets in the snow.