Skip to main content

Review: Wolf in the Snow

Wolf in the Snow

 1. Bibliographic:
Cordell, Matthew. Wolf in the Snow. New York: Feiwell and
Friends, 2017. ISBN 978-1-250-07636-6
2. Summary:
A young girl and a wolf pup set off on their own paths through the snow, only to end up lost,
together. The girl helps the wolf find its family, eventually becoming too tired to find her
own way home. The wolf pack returns to help her reunite with her family.
3. Critical analysis:
Illustrations of a brave girl in a red coat traveling through a snowstorm tell a story of compassion
between herself and a young wolf. Only a few onomatopoeias are used to indicate feeling
or plot points, but the expressiveness of the girl’s eyes and her body language convey most
of the meaning. The facing page layouts done in ink and watercolor are powerful, particularly
when the girl and the mother wolf come face to face.
This 2018 Caldecott winning story is wonderful to sit and read with a child or two, but would
be challenging to convey in a storytime or large group setting. Something about the art and
story call for quiet contemplation and multiple visits to its pages. I appreciated the use of
bright colors, even during the “scary” parts; they seem to convey a bravery on the part of
the girl in the red coat as she faces her adventure.
4. Review Excerpts and Awards:
Caldecott Medal Winner, 2018
Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature Nominee, 2017
Cyblis Awards Nominee, 2017
What distinguishes this book are the many feelings that Cordell’s pen-and-ink–with-watercolor illustrations capture so well—cold, fear, courage, exhaustion, relief—keeping readers hooked to the end. Deeply satisfying.  
- Kirkus Review, September 2016.
Suspenseful page-turns and aerial views on double-page spreads keep readers worrying
about the protagonist until the very end, when the family is shown by the fireside with
steamy mugs and pet dog—a cozy contrast to the fraught outdoor adventure.  
-Horn Book Review, Elisa Gall, January 2016.
A heartwarming adventure about helping others, best shared one-on-one to pore over the
engaging images. –Peter Blenski for School Library Journal, January 2017.
5. Connections:
Other books by Matthew Cordell:
King Alice ISBN 978-1250047496

Wish  ISBN 978-1484708750

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Historical Fiction: Between Shades of Gray

Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray. Philomel Books, 2011.     ISBN 978-0399254123 Plot summary/ critical analysis 1941, Lithuania: Lina and her family are taken by the Soviets in the middle of the night. They are separated from Lina’s father and taken to train cars that will eventually take them and other Lithuanians, Estonians, and Latvians to Soviet labor camps. Lina takes every opportunity to draw, finding both a release and purpose; she hopes that her drawing will make their way to her father so they can be found and rescued. Lina manages to form relationships with other prisoners, even falling in love at one point. Underneath all the trauma is a story of continuing to have hope and to fight even when it’s hard. Sepetys tackles the trauma and confusion in a straightforward way. It is depressing and necessary storytelling of a time in history that was covered up and ignored for decades. The descriptions are vivid and heartbreaking; you...
Post a Comment
Read more

Traditional Lit. Review: The Three Little Javelinas

The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell and Jim Harris 1. Bibliographic- Lowell, Susan. The Three Little Javelinas. Ill. by Jim Harris. Arizona: Rising Moon, 1992. ISBN 0-87358-542-9 2. Summary- Three sibling javelinas (southwestern relative of pigs) set off on their own journeys to live life and make a home in the southwest desert. As each sibling attempts to build their homes - one of tumbleweeds, one of saguaros ribs, and the other of adobe- a trickster coyote follows them, trying to get a good meal. The coyote destroys the first two javelinas’ homes, and they run to their sister’s adobe brick house. Together they withstand the coyote’s attack, and send him howling into the desert. 3. Critical analysis- A twist on the classic three little pigs, the Three Little Javelinas teaches about patience, cleverness, and perseverance of the siblings running from a coyote. This tale is set in the Sonoran desert, and it moves quickly in its descriptions of t...
Post a Comment
Read more