Hotel Flamingo

Gr 1-3–Anna inherits the rundown Hotel Flamingo from her Great-Aunt Mathilde. It hadn’t seen a guest in years since the new Hotel Glitz opened on the small island. T. Bear, the doorman, and Mr. Lemmy (a lemur) are the only animal employees left. But with a bit of love and a lot of cleaning, Anna sees the possibilities for this 50-room hotel with a spa, a royal suite, and beach views on both sides. When Anna and her small staff put out a call for help around the hotel, the response from prospective new animal employees is overwhelming. Anna hires hardworking Hilary the hippopotamus to do the cleaning, Stella the diligent giraffe takes on the hotel repairs, the temperamental Madame Le Pig becomes the chef, and Eva the koala becomes the waitress. T. Bear recruits a flock of flamingos to perform their fabulous show, The Pink Feather Cabaret, in the great dining hall. When the lead flamingo, Ms. Fragranti, invites the manager of the competing hotel and the hotel inspector shows up unannounced, Anna is afraid everything will fall apart once more. But the show is a success and the inspector loves what Anna and her staff are doing with the place. With the inspector’s glowing reviews, Hotel Flamingo is back in business and the bookings come pouring in. This simple and fun story with grayscale and pink (of course) cartoon illustrations on every two-page spread shows diverse animal characters coming together and working hard to save an historic hotel.