The Swan's Warning

Greenriver

by Holly Webb

'You think the foxes are travelling down river to look for a new home?'
The swan hesitated, but eventually he nodded. 'They could be.'

A gorgeously illustrated animal epic set on the Greenriver that readers aged 8+ will treasure.

The otters who live on the Greenriver have only just begun to recover from last year's flood when a swan arrives with news of a new threat : a clan of foxes is travelling closer and closer to the holt.

Legends that have been passed down from otter to otter and beaver to beaver portray the foxes as sneaky, cruel creatures. Soon, the tenuous peace that has been brokered between the otters and beavers is threatened by this news. The otter holt and beaver lodge each believe a different course of action should be taken. It is up to Sedge and Silken to find a way to unite the two communities and protect their home from this new threat, if they can...

From million-copy selling Holly Webb comes a modern classic - another gorgeously-written animal epic, set on the Greenriver. Perfect for fans of Pax.

Genres: Animals

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Holly Webb is one of Britain's best-loved children's writers. She has written over a hundred books for children, and her work has been translated into over thirty languages. Holly lives in Tilehurst, just outside of Reading, Berkshire, with her husband, three children and several cats.

Reviews

[_och_man_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wspaniały powrót nad Zieloną Rzekę 💚 O ile poprzedni tom był w miarę statyczny, tak tutaj... Działo się! Do pełni szczęścia brakowało mi jedynie momentów, przy których mogłabym uronić łezkę (albo dwie).

[Lily ○♡~•° · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good cute ending most likely the last child's book I will ever read so i hold it to my heart xx

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of fall-out from the reunion between otter siblings Silken and Sedge, what with Silken being at Greenriver but not wanting what her stay there means in the long run, and leaving her with addled thoughts about her foster parents, the beavers. She should be feeling like she's home, with her brother, her mother and all her kin. But all of that is swept aside when Vane, the swan, fetches up injured. The floods that proved so climactic last time (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) must have provoked a band of vicious foxes to go in search of a new home – and the holt is a prime target for them. With Vane out of action, and the news of the foxes needing to be spread downriver, it's down to a certain couple of otters to go to the beavers to warn them, and perhaps even inspire them to come and help defend the otter home.

This is once more a wonderful and gripping animal story, mentioning the kitchen otter being able to boil this and the medicine otter able to mix that poultice, but still having otters do otter-y things. It's a blend of modern drama, with an eco tinge now and again, with a timeless animal story your grandparents could have read – but with very new beats, such as when someone deadnames Silken. Indeed it has more perhaps that harks back to books like this of yore – the pro-democracy moral, the songs – but it certainly has a youthful energy, and the whole way the young generation is seen once again to do right is pitching it freshly at a junior audience.

This isn't perfect, once again – it does feel like the middle part of a trilogy, a lot of the time – but it is still very enjoyable. I did struggle to keep a firm grip on who was who at some points, when the heated debates come to the fore, but there is drama aplenty here, in fine style.

[Farah G · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Swan's Warning is a delightful story containing some really nice illustrations. In this second book, we catch up with otter siblings, Sedge and Silken, as they re-adjust to life in the otters' holt.

This is likely to take some time, as Sedge has been out in the wider world for a while, and Silken has returned to her own community after being lost for many years and growing up with the beavers at their lodge.

Sedge's time away has changed him in ways that he cannot explain to the other otters, not least his harrowing encounter with the wolf. Having his sister back is wonderful but also different.

As for Silken - after spending years trying to fit in with the beavers, thinking of herself as some kind of weird runt - she now has to learn how to be an otter. If she wants to, that is. Because Silken has not entirely decided whether or not she is staying with the otters.

Not that either of them have too much time to think about all this. Not after the swan comes to warn them that foxes are moving in the direction of the holt. Both the beavers and the otters are deeply suspicious of foxes, but their approach to the problem proves to be entirely different - leading to tensions that strain the already fragile truce between the two groups.

This is such a beautifully written and evocative story that is about far more than how groups of animals live and behave with each other. There are many life lessons woven in alongside the songs and poetry featured in the book. I loved it and think that children will love it too!

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

[Judy Wollin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silken was washed out of her holt as an otter pup and was rescued and raised by beavers in their home. As a young otter who thought she was a strange beaver, Silken sought answers and began to swim upriver, where her brother recused her.
Foxes were making their way down the river, and the otters and beavers found a way to overcome their prejudices and mistrust of each other to work together to keep their homes safe from the foxes.
The war between the foxes, beavers, and otters caused many injuries, and the death of important animals before Silken and her brother found a way to convince their fellow otters and the beavers and foxes to find a peaceful way to coexist.
The story's theme is to get to know fellow creatures rather than relying on gossip and old stories to form an opinion about them. Avoid jumping to conclusions.
Recommended for readers ten years and older or as a read-along with an adult followed by a discussion about the themes.

[RjS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story - the characters, the illustrations and the ‘songs’ all wove together to make a meaningful and touching story.

I’d not read the first book and, whilst I can see it might have added context, I think this book stood up well as a stand-alone.

I will be looking to read the first book now. I don’t want to let the world of these river creatures go!
I wonder if there will be a third book in the series, now we have new characters in the foxes - I hope so!

I was grateful to receive an ARC from NetGalley but my opinions are my own.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very beautifully written book with a much deeper meaning. It is a story about how the tenuous peace between beavers and the otters was tested when there were news that foxes would be arriving.

I love how there are beautifully written poems / songs woven into the story.

[Luke Calder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, well written tale. A light read, big on teaching empathy and a lovely story to read out loud to children