A runaway boy befriends a polar bear that's being transported from
Norway to London in this lyrical and timeless adventure story about
freedom, captivity, and finding a family.
The polar bear is a royal bear, a gift from the King of Norway to the
King of England. The first time Arthur encounters the bear, he is shoved
in her cage as payback for stealing food. Restless and deadly, the bear
terrifies him. Yet, strangely, she doesn't harm him--though she has
attacked anyone else who comes near. That makes Arthur valuable to the
doctor in charge of getting the bear safely to London. So Arthur, who
has run away from home, finds himself taking care of a polar bear on a
ship to England.
Tasked with feeding and cleaning up after the bear, Arthur's fears
slowly lessen as he begins to feel a connection to this bear, who like
him, has been cut off from her family. But the journey holds many
dangers, and Arthur knows his own freedom--perhaps even his
life--depends on keeping the bear from harm. When pirates attack and the
ship founders, Arthur must make a choice--does he do everything he can
to save himself, or does he help the bear to find freedom?
Based on the real story of a polar bear that lived in the Tower of
London, this timeless adventure story is also a touching account of the
bond between a boy and a bear.