FIRST FRIEND

A lyrical exploration of how wolves evolved into dogs.

Thousands of years ago, humans and wolves competed for prey, but gradually some wolves evolved to become the companions of humans. This picture book uses a simple repeating narrative theme to effectively present this evolution. A Stone Age girl meets a wolf pup, and they become friends, but the pup stays with its wolf family as it grows because “everyone knew girls and wolves could not be friends.” Moving forward “years and years” ahead, a boy, now living in a hut of “branches and hides” befriends a wolf pup. Their friendship is closer, but still they separate as they grow. This scenario is repeated twice more, each scenario advancing the evolutionary time frame while cleverly underscoring the enduring constancy of the child-puppy attraction—an attraction that is delightfully played out in the story’s conclusion as well as the wonderful endpapers. The colorful, uncomplicated illustrations follow a pattern in their design that echoes the comfortable rhythm of the narrative—but these are no stodgy presentations. The confident use of light as both definitive highlights and atmosphere gives them a bright, clear, and uplifting buoyancy. A more detailed explanation of the science and history of the wolf-to-dog evolution and a bibliography are contained in the backmatter. All human characters are illustrated with light brown skin and black hair. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-19.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 33% of actual size.)

Delightful—especially appealing for young readers who have or wish for a puppy.