SAINT FRANCIS AND THE WOLF

Caldecott Medalist Egielski focuses on one incident in the life of St. Francis, a time when he tamed a fierce wolf that was terrorizing the Italian town of Gubbia. The wolf was eating shepherds and farmers as well as their livestock, so the town leaders decide action must be taken. St. Francis repeatedly offers his help, but the leaders send first their bravest knight, then an entire army and then a “great war machine” to kill the wolf, who fights off all these attacks with increasing violence. Finally, St. Francis goes alone to meet the wolf and makes peace with him through gentle words in his own wolf language. Egielski’s illustrations create a winning wolf character as well as an evocative representation of the Italian town and its people. The attractive design includes decorated borders around the illustrations and an old-fashioned typeface in brown against beige backgrounds with the look of parchment or vellum. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-8)