Bryony Thomson – illustratör

In the dark days of war, a group of soldiers far from home come across an orphaned bear cub. They adopt him and hide him in their tents, feeding him with their rations - until he is too big to ignore! When they are told Wojtek cannot travel with them, the soldiers grant him an officer's commission. Private Wojtek finds himself helping to carry armaments at the Battle of Monte Cassino. After the war, unable to return to their homeland, the soldiers arrive in Scotland. Peter, Wojtek's substitute parent, has lost track of his own family, now homeless through war. There is a happy ending, however, as Peter is reunited with his family in Scotland - and Wojtek finds a new home in Edinburgh zoo. A statue of Wojtek stands in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh in memory of the brave bear and his fellow soldiers.