Wolf in the Snow

Justification

Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell won the Caldecott medal. This book is also starred on Booklist, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Horn Book Guide Magazine, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Connection and School Library Journal.

Evaluation

Matthew Cordell weaves a heart-warming tale of a young girl who helps a lost wolf pup. Wolf in the Snow tells the story using only pictures and onomatopoeias. The illustrations are sketched and colored brightly. The characters colors contrast pleasantly with the white snowscape that the story takes place in. The illustrations move the plot along and engage the reader. When the main character meets the mother wolf the two page spread of surprised reactions pulls the reader into the story, feeling the emotions with the characters.

The use of figurative language, specifically onomatopoeias, adds a layer of depth to the story. As the young girl traverses the snow covered ground, up and down hills, the girl says “huff… huff…” depicting her hard work. The howls of the mother wolf shows the caring nature of the animals as they search for their lost pup. Finally the girls own dog barks as she leaves and returns safely home.

The theme of this story is one that each reader should take to heart. One good deed deserves another is a concept that many fail to understand or undertake. In this story after the girl returns the lost wolf pup, she too is lost on her way home. The wolf family gather around the fallen girl and howl until the girl’s family finds her. The lesson that you should repay a good deed with another or that you should pay it forward is clearly illustrated in Wolf in the Snow.

Conclusion

Wolf in the Snow is a great book for readers of every age, but especially young children. This would be a fantastic read for emerging readers. Wolf in the Snow is recommended for public and elementary libraries as well as in classrooms. This book would be great for a mini lesson on theme.

Citation

Cordell, M. (2017). Wolf in the snow. Feiwel and Friends Book.