The Girl and the Wolf Book Review

Book Review
The Girl and the Wolf
Written by Katherena Vermette
Illustrated by Julie Flett
Published in December 2018 by Theytus Books in Canada, distributed in the US by Orca as of February 2, 2019

Why we chose this book:
So apparently T is telling people, "They don't teach us anything at farm school. We have to figure it out ourselves." Self-reliance and problem solving are skills we want to encourage, and the description explained this as a goal of the book. Orca Books provided a review copy.

Mom's Review

A little girl runs into the woods while her mother is picking berries, only to become lost almost immediately. A wolf appears, but in a reversal of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf helps the girl calm down and find her way home. The wolf does not lead her home, however, but asks the girl what she will do. She answers, "I don't know." The wolf reassures her that she does, indeed, know. He encourages her to close her eyes and take a breath before trying again to determine her course of action. Each time (she has more than one problem), she realizes that she does know what to do. When she returns to her camp, she finds the wolf gone. The Girl and the Wolf ends with the girl leaving a gift at the edge of the woods to thank the wolf.

What I like about this story so much is the way the wolf and girl demonstrate techniques for calming down to solve problems. I often help T calm by practicing breathing exercises; he quickly identified with the girl when the wolf had her do the same. The wolf also sets an example for parents; rather than solving the girl's problem for her, he provides support and assurance while encouraging her to apply her knowledge to a given situation. Just like at T's farm school, he doesn't teach her anything, she has to figure it out for herself. And just like at T's farm school, he is there for her, guiding and helping along the way.

I'd also like to point out that the girl is never named, nor does she have distinctive features. She could be anyone. And any child could imagine himself or herself in the girl's place or following her example. It is also worth noting that this also allows readers to identify with a First Nations character.

The back reads: "An empowering indigenous twist on a classic wolf tale." And I wholeheartedly agree.

Son's Review
(Age: almost 4)
Before reading:
Mom: I think you're really going to like this. It's about a helpful wolf, like the opposite of the one in the 3 Little Pigs.

Son: It's also the opposite of Little Red Riding Hood.

After reading:
Son: I want to read it again!

Mom: I really liked the wolf, but I felt nervous at the beginning. How did you feel?

Son: I really liked it. I felt pretty happy.

Mom: How would you tell the wolf, "Thank you"?

Son: Put flowers and acorns with a leaf wrapped up - with them wrapped up in a leave. And I would give it to the wolf. And that's what I wanted to do tomorrow!

Mom: And would you leave it in the woods for some animals?

Son: Oh gosh no. Bring it in!

Mom: And would you want to play with the little girl? What would you say to her?

Son: Yes. "Did the wolf hurt you or not?"

Mom: I think you know the answer to the question already. Did the wolf hurt her?

Son: Yeah, but if I met her... No.

Mom: The wolf was helping her calm down. Do I help you calm down? How? Does that sound like anything we read?

Son: Yeah. Take a deep breath. The wolf.

Mom: If you got lost in the woods and couldn't find me, what would you do?

Son: I would knock and say, "Open the back door," and you would.

Mom: Well, if you couldn't find me, you could knock on the neighbor's door. Which house could you go to?

Son, pointing to the closest house: That house!
___________________________________________
Son: I would want to be friends with the wolf.

Mom: What do you think it would be good to do together? Do you think the wolf would want to read books?

Son: No. I would make books out of leaves. I would stick a leaf together and I would write words on them and I would draw pictures on them and I would read it to the wolf.

Mom: What kind of stories would you tell the wolf?

Son: Animal stories with wolfs in them or just wolf stories or just people stories.

Mom: Would you also want to be friends with the little girl?

Son: Yeah, but most of all I'd just like to be friends with the wolf.

Mom: What advice might she give to someone who has to solve a problem?

Son: "Go to my friend the wolf."

Mom: And when is it a good time to read The Girl and the Wolf?

Son: When someone is lost.

Mom: What did you like most?

Son: That the wolf helped her.

Extra
I love finding smaller and specialty presses, and Theytus is a new one for me. Here's a bit about it, from their website: "Theytus Books is a leading North American publisher of Indigenous voices...
As the oldest Indigenous publishing house in Canada, Theytus Books is recognized and respected internationally for its contributions to Aboriginal literature."
http://www.theytus.com/About-Us