Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell (review)

In this nearly wordless (but not soundless) book, a girl leaves school amid a worsening snowstorm at the same time that a pack of wolves seek cover. When a pup loses the fast-moving adult wolves, the girl finds it, picking it up since the snow is now too deep for the little mite. Our heroine finds the wolf pack by their howling and returns the puppy; when she takes a header on her way home, the pack surrounds her and howls an alarm that enables her searching mother and loyal dog to find her. It’s an appealing story, and the limited text (only animal sounds, especially a lot of long-drawn-out howls and puppy whines, and the girl’s labored breathing) heightens the tension. Our heroine’s red coat and lupine interactions suggests a newer, kinder relationship between Little Red Riding Hood and the wolves, an association kids are sure to recognize. Cordell’s familiar scribbly linework has its usual energy, and his watercolor art also attains some surprising gravitas in its depiction of the wolf pack and beauty in its views of the snowy landscape. There’s a snowy sweetness here that would make this a rewarding winter holiday story, or it could provide an upbeat concluding twist to a folktale sequence.