WOLF CUB'S SONG

A wolf cub’s mother reminds her to find belonging and purpose as a member of her pack.

An expression of encouragement to small children who feel lonely and frightened as they tuck into bed, this vibrantly illustrated picture book begins with Wolf Cub curled up in her den. It’s dark outside, and she misses her friend the sun. She cries out in loneliness until Mother Wolf arrives to coax her into the starry night. A fuchsia-tinged aurora greets the mother and cub as they take their place on a hill with the rest of their pack and begin singing to Grandmother Moon. The illustrations in this gentle reminder of the importance of extended family are colorful and energetic; beginning with close-ups of the protagonist and her mother (including a particularly poignant picture of Wolf Cub crying with loneliness), the book ends with aerial and long-distance shots of the howling clan. One striking spread shows the silhouetted pack waiting for mother and cub to join them. Another page shows the wolves numerous as the stars, a tribute to the strength they can find in their numbers. Opening with occasional rhymes, the text may have readers looking for consistent meter and rhyme, but they will do so in vain. Overall, the illustrations in this book steal the show. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10-by-20-inch double-page spreads viewed at 24.8% of actual size.)

Celebrate this cub as she finds even young members have roles to perform with their pack!