Duo Review of Hotel Flamingo & Holiday Heat Wave by Alex Milway

Hotel Flamingo by Alex Milway
Format:  Paperback

Publisher:  Kane Miller Books
Number of Pages:  192
Published:  2020
Source:  Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Opening Line:  "Anna Dupont stepped out of the taxi and saw Hotel Flamingo for the first time."

The Hotel Flamingo is the first book in the series.  It's been three years since a guest has checked in at the Hotel Flamingo, but the new owner, Anna Dupont has plans to change things around.  There's a glitzy new hotel on the hill that seems to have taken all of her business away, but T. Bear and Lemmy have stayed on at the hotel tending to their one guest, Mrs. Turpington, whose been in hibernation for the past three years.  Despite everything, Anna is sure that with a little hard work, hiring some new staff, and lots of elbow grease, the Hotel Flamingo can regain its past glory.  Anna has a vision of remaking the hotel into the go-to spot for the city, a place that welcomes all.  This is really a fun introduction to the series and the black and white illustrations by Alex Milway with pink hues really make the story.  I would have loved if they all were in color like the cover, but they are so lovely either way.       

Holiday Heat Wave by Alex Milway

Format:  Paperback

Publisher:  Kane Miller Books
Number of Pages:  192
Published:  2020
Source:  Publisher in exchange for an honest review

Opening Line: "In the blazing heat of summer, a long black limousine pulled up outside the Hotel Flamingo."   

Holiday Heat Wave is the second book in the Hotel Flamingo series.  Anna has been successful with running the Hotel Flamingo so much so that the King and Queen Penguin want to make reservations to stay at her hotel.  That is if she can adhere to their strict list of demands.  They want to be greeted with a red carpet, be serenaded by a string quartet, their room must be decorated in a specific way, and there just must be an iceberg in the pool.  Can Anna and her staff live up to their demands for perfection?   

I really enjoyed the summery feel of Holiday Heat Wave.  It's quite amusing to have penguins showing up at a hotel in the middle of a heatwave expecting to have an iceberg in the pool.  Anna is quite industrious and ultimately gets them what they want, with a few mishaps due to sabotage from someone trying to undermine the hotel and make them look bad in front of their first royal guests.  I quite enjoy the illustrations by the author, Alex Milway.  They're lively and the pink hues do match the theme of hotel flamingo.  This would be a fun series for summer reading and especially for someone who enjoys animal stories.  I'm excited to be able to donate it to my public library for kids to enjoy.   

**Thank you to Kane Miller Publishing for the review copies.**