Big Wolf and Little Wolf

by Nadine Brun-Cosme

Book list Long-snouted, fangless, decidedly unscary wolves one large and black, one small and blue step tentatively toward companionship in this charming French import. Big Wolf is content with his solitary life when Little Wolf comes from so far away that at first he looked no bigger than a dot. The two appraise each other gently, and soon Big Wolf shares just a bit of his leaf blanket, exercise routine, and fruit. Then Little Wolf disappears. The matter-of-fact telling and Tallec's illustrations, spare of detail, saturated with brilliant color, keep this tale of absence and hearts grown fond from becoming saccharine. Emotions are conveyed through gestures and askance glances. When Big Wolf peers into the distance for a glimpse of Little Wolf or clutches his heart, words are barely needed. Thankfully all ends well. A Visitor for Bear (2008) by Bonny Becker covers similar territory more raucously, but sensitive children will feel satisfied with the wolves' quiet resolution. This is a book that deserves a place on readers' shelves and in their hearts.--Cruze, Karen Copyright 2009 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

School Library Journal PreS-Gr 2-Big Wolf lives alone under a tree at the top of a hill until one autumn day when Little Wolf comes along. At first he is wary of this stranger who silently joins him for exercises at the top of the tree, lunch at the base, and sleepy time against the trunk. But when Big Wolf goes for a walk and comes back to find Little Wolf gone, he realizes that "a little one, indeed a very little one, [has] taken up space in his heart. A lot of space." Big Wolf waits through a lonely winter, until one spring day a tiny dot in the distance slowly grows to become Little Wolf, returning at last, and a beautiful friendship begins. This translation has careful phrasing. Tallec's colorful illustrations play off the quiet dignity of the text, revealing emotion through the characters' stances and expressions, employing a sketchy painting style that brims with light.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.