The Journey Home

The Journey Home (2012), written and illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, follows a polar bear who is forced to leave his home because the ice is melting and food is becoming difficult to find. He sets off across the sea in search of a new place to live. During his journey, he meets other animals facing similar dangers: a panda whose habitat is disappearing, an orangutan surrounded by destroyed forest, and an elephant threatened by hunters. The animals travel together in a small boat until a storm carries them to an island inhabited by a dodo. There, they learn that returning home will only be possible when the environmental problems that caused their displacement are addressed. The story connects the animals’ individual journeys with the wider consequences of human activity on wildlife and natural habitats.