Agents of the wild: Operation Honeyhunt by Jennifer Bell

Illus. by Alice Lickens. Walker Books 2020. ISBN: 9781406388459.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Eight year old Agnes Gamble is an orphan: her Botanist parents died while collecting rare plants in Australia. She now lives in a high rise tower of flats with her Uncle Douglas.  She has developed a love of plants and animals just like her parents, but because of where they live, she is not able to have a pet.
But an Elephant Shrew sitting on her bed, tells her he is a field agent from a group called SPEARS (Society for the Protection of Endangered and Awesomely Rare Species) and he wants her to work for the agency.  She of course, jumps at the chance. Her first operation is Operation Honeyhunt and she and Attie head off for the rainforests of South America to rescue an endangered bee.
Agents of the wild is a fun, adventure-filled book following a young environmentalist who wants to follow in the footsteps of her parents, helping to protect and save endangered species.
The book's artwork helps bring the story to life, offering a face for readers to recognise and identify with. Information is given at the end of the book to help readers understand some of the threats to the environment and how they can help. Operation Icebeak, the second in the series will be published soon.  Themes: Adventure, Honey, Environment, Conservation.
Fran Knight