Freya and Zoose

An etiquette-obsessed penguin and a vagabond mouse accompany Swedish air balloonist S.A. Andrée on his ill-fated journey to the North Pole. Ready for an adventure after being stranded alone for over a year, Swedish penguin Freya stows away with a group that plans to travel to the North Pole via hot air balloon. But she is not alone—mouse Zoose, a scrappy Londoner, has been “living in this basket ever since they built it.” Freya finds the mouse “vulgar,” but as the balloon loses altitude and the group switches to sledges, the two slowly bond. Freya saves Zoose after they end up in a meltwater pool, and Zoose returns the favor after a polar bear mauls Freya. The animals continue their journey, telling stories about their past, tagging after the humans, and meeting a “blindingly beautiful” snow fox, who enraptures the animals but misrepresents herself. As Andrée and his team face grave danger and eventually die, Freya and Zoose realize that their future lies together. History and animal friendship combine to form a touching, if strange, travel narrative. Ages 8–12. Agent: Steven Chudney, the Chudney Agency. [em](Jan.) [/em]