Wolves

Gravett, Emily. 2006. WOLVES. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 1416914919 [Suggested Grade Levels K-3]

REVIEW
Illustrated as a book within a book that brings readers into every page, WOLVES follows a hapless rabbit as he researches the topic of wolves. After checking a book out at the library, the rabbit walks right into the book, and as the pages turn, into more and more trouble. Readers will delight in the rabbit’s wide-eyed surprise as he realizes what they already knew – that the rabbit has managed to walk right out onto the wolf’s nose, and is about to be dinner. The multimedia illustration provides visually appealing pages with many different elements, checkout cards from the “West Bucks Public Burrowing Library” and postcards sent to “G. Rabbit” in “Nibbleswick, Great Burrow.” Abundant white space provides a more dramatic background for the detailed charcoal drawings of the wolf. For those fearing dead bunny trauma for young readers, an alternate ending is presented wherein the wolf is a vegetarian and the predator and prey share a jam sandwich instead.

CONNECTIONS
Use drawing and different media to create a picture of what would happen if some other set of predator and prey were to meet, a fox and chicken or a cat and mouse, and include an alternate happy ending.

RELATED BOOKS
Other books for children with unique multimedia illustrations:
Child, Lauren. BEWARE OF THE STORYBOOK WOLVES. ISBN 0340779160
Child, Lauren. WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG, BAD BOOK? ISBN 0786809264
Gravett, Emily. MEERKAT MAIL. ISBN 1405052155

By Tammy Korns