“One day I’d like to find the story of my past, and I hope it’s something more magical than being unwanted and abandoned as a baby. I hope it’s a tale filled with wonder, that explains who I am and why I’m different, why I hear the trees whispering secrets, and why I always feel the forest, pulling me in.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: maps, magical stories, claw pendants, real friendships, notes, houses with chicken legs, quests, talking animals, war dances, bear caves, curses, enchanted trees, true friendships and… bear legs.

Found abandoned in a bear cave as a baby, 12-year-old Yanka has always felt out of place in her small village. When she wakes up to find that her legs have become bear legs, she sets off into the forest to discover who she is, on a journey that takes her from icy rivers to smouldering mountains, with an ever-growing group of misfits alongside her… Interwoven with traditional stories of bears, princesses and dragons, Yanka’s journey is a gorgeously lyrical adventure from the best-selling author of The House With Chicken Legs.

This was such a cute story! It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Sophie Anderson’s books and whenever a new book comes out, I’m always looking forward to diving into them!

There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book, but my favorite was definitely the characters. I loved the main character Yanka and her trusty companion, the weasel Mousetrap.! They made the perfect duo and I was rooting for them the entire time. To be honest I liked all the characters – a special mention to Sasha, the Yaga and Elena.

The writing is beautiful and immersive. This story is based in Russian folklore, just like the other books from the same author. I always learn one thing or two by reading these stories! The only thing that I didn’t like that much is that I found it a little too slow-paced for my taste. Somewhere after she left for the forest, the story slowed down and my interest decreased a little.

One thing that surprised me was the crossover with “The House With Chicken Legs” book. I didn’t know there was a crossover, so I’m just glad I picked up the books in the right order! For this reason, if you’re considering picking this up I would highly advise you to pick up “The House With Chicken Legs” first!

It’s an amazing story for every age. It’s not only a story for children, but a story for young adults and adults as well. It’s full of magic and I’m sure your imagination will run free!

The illustrations are beautiful as always. Judging by the art style, I’m assuming the same illustrator is still working with Sophie Anderson! They make a great team to create these amazing stories. I just love how well the story is told with the beautiful pictures… It’s a match made in heaven!I really liked this book, but my favorite from this author is still “The House With Chicken Legs”. If you want to pick a book from her, that would be my recommendation!