The Hotel Flamingo, once the sunniest hotel on the boulevard but sadly past its heyday, is uninhabited, save for its concierge (a lemur named Lemmy) and the doorman (a bear named T-Bear).

But when irrepressible Anna Dupont arrives as the new owner, her boundless energy and infectious optimism inspires the trio to restore the hotel to its former glory and the team recruit a bevy of animals of all shapes and sizes (including a brilliant and stylish troupe of performing flamingos) in an attempt to draw crowds AND guests!

This heart-warming story celebrates friendship, cooperation, determination and a place to call home; it’s bright, charming, funny and a little bit wacky. Energetic line illustrations (with spots of colour) bring extra layers of fun to a story guaranteed to delight young readers, which is good news as this looks like the first book in a series. Highly recommended for readers aged 7+.

Athina Clarke is the children’s book buyer at Readings Malvern.