When Gretel breaks through the ice one Tuesday morning, to be greeted by a flock of birds who think she is very, very special indeed, she is amazed that they are so interested in her. Being the last woolly mammoth in the world, she finds herself famous, and while this is rather nice for a little while, she quickly realises she doesn't fit in. All the birds love her and find her kind and strong and gentle and understanding, but she increasingly feels the need to be alone.. The world is too loud and confusing, things don't do what she expects them to do, and she's 'scared... and sad...and 'worried...all at the same time.' When she goes off by herself, she starts by thinking this may be the answer, but soon she knows it isn't, and when her bird friends come to find her, she bravely decides to tell them what is wrong. They come up trumps, listening to all she has to say and working out ways to help. Soon Gretel is finding new interests and asking questions and coming up with all the things that make her special, such as playing the drums and dressing in the brightest of clothes, and the birds are supportive all the way. Emphasising the importance of talking when one is suffering anxiety of any sort, the story with its often funny (even hilarious) illustrations has great appeal for young children - and older ones too. While a woolley mammoth would not be everyone's choice for the heroine in a picture book, this one is perfect because it is only too easy to imagine how lost and alone she would be in the modern world. Brilliantly imagined and executed.