Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway (Review)

This is a brand new book fresh off the printing press, since its publishing date is stated as February 2019 inside. It has a really cute cover, and its illustrations inside are tinted with pink! I am always impressed with those who can write admirably, as well as draw excellently – good job, Alex Milway!

Here’s the publisher’s synopsis:

When young Anna inherits a dilapidated once-grand hotel from her Great Aunt Mathilde, she’s determined to restore it to its former glory.

But this is no ordinary hotel – all of her staff and guests are animals! Anna soon rises to the challenge. Whether it’s a flamingo, a penguin or a hippo knocking at the door, Anna is ready to welcome them all – with the help of her trusty sidekicks T Bear the doorman, Squeak the friendly mouse elevator, and Lemmy the lemur receptionist …

As she soon finds out, though, running an animal hotel is no easy task. Can Anna make Hotel Flamingo a success once more?

Piccadilly Press

What I really liked about the book were its three-dimensional endearing characters, and witty asides.

It even contains wise management advice! Check out the paragraph just above the illustration below – it made me chuckle.

My favourite character (apart from gutsy girl protagonist Anna of course) was irascible Madame Le Pig, world-class chef. She takes her job so seriously she snaps at everyone, but when it came to the crunch (pun not intended), she saved the day by yielding deftly like a bamboo stem.

Although it is theoretically targeted at children aged between 6 to 8, my 10 year old totally enjoyed it! Even I (at my sagely age-that-shall-not-be-declared) was drawn to reading it.

It’s full of joie de vivre, and I loved its story line of a little girl who creates jobs, works hard alongside her staff, welcomes the downtrodden, and triumphs in the face of adversity.

If you are looking for a cheery book to interest emergent readers who are transiting from picture books to chapter books, this is another great one in that genre! Excellent as a gift as well.

The book is available at all good bookstores. : )

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