LoveReading4Kids Says
December 2019 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month November 2019 | Winner of the 2018 Caldecott Medal
A stunning near wordless picture book which will inspire the story teller in all of its readers. While Matthew Cordell draws on some themes familiar from the traditional Red Riding Hood story he has created a quite different and hugely heart-warming drama about trust and friendship. Dressed in a bright red coat a little girl sets off to walk home from school. Snow is beginning to fall. At the same time, a pack of wolfs, including a young wolf cub, set out into the same falling snow. The snow turns into a blizzard and soon both the little girl and the wolf cub are lost. How can either of them survive? Luckily, they come together so that bth can get home safely.
Julia Eccleshare M.B.E
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Matthew Cordell Press Reviews
A near-wordless story of kindness repaid.... What distinguishes this book are the many feelings that Cordell's pen-and-ink-with-watercolor illustrations capture so well - cold, fear, courage, exhaustion, relief - keeping readers hooked to the end. Deeply satisfying. - Kirkus, Starred review
Cordell's pen-and-ink illustrations balance detail and emotion...The setting is brought to life through changing sky colors, cold breaths, and extensive snowscapes in watercolors. The handlettered, inky text, wordless except for sound effects, supports the cinematic feel created through the use of varying perspectives and loosely demarcated panels. Suspenseful page-turns and aerial views on double-page spreads keep readers worrying about the protagonist until the very end, when the family is shown by the fireside with steamy mugs and pet dog?a cozy contrast to the fraught outdoor adventure. - Horn Book, starred review
This nearly wordless picture book is a tender, never precious story of kindness and cooperation. Expect this wintry tale to bring only warmth - Booklist, starred review
Caught in a blizzard on her way home from school, a girl in a red parka discovers a wolf pup left behind by its pack. Cordell's story is wordless, but there's a soundtrack: the cub whines, and distant howls reveal the pack's presence over the next hill. ...Cozy vignettes, framed in rough circles, help reassure readers that the story will end well, and so does a tender opening portrait of the family. The girl's story is a hero's journey, and Cordell tells it with skill and heart. - Publishers Weekly, starred review
Beautifully paced....ultimately reassuring - Wall Street Journal
About Matthew Cordell
Matthew Cordell is the Caldecott award-winning author and illustrator of Wolf in the Snow, Trouble Gum, Another Brother, hello! hello!, and Wish. He has illustrated numerous books by renowned authors including Philip Stead (Special Delivery), Rachel Vail (the Justin Case series), and Gail Carson Levine (Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems). He lives with his family in Gurnee, Illinois.
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