Wolf in the Snow

Wolf in the Snow
Author Matthew Cordell
Publisher Feiwel & Friends
Publication date
 January 3, 2017
Pages 48
Awards Caldecott Medal
ISBN 978-1250076366
OCLC 1001724046

Wolf in the Snow is a 2017 picture book by Matthew Cordell. The book was favorably received by critics and won the 2018 Caldecott Award. The story has drawn comparisons to fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood.

Plot

In this nearly wordless picture book a girl and a wolf are each lost in a snowstorm. The words that are present reflect the sounds and actions of the story.

Themes and illustrations

Several critics noted the parallels between Wolf in the Snow and fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood.[1][2][3] This allusion was something Cordell thought about. The concept for the book started with his drawing a girl in a red coat in a white field looking at a wolf, "I liked the graphic color combination of the black, the red, and the white. I liked the suspense created by the child and the wolf and the unanswered question of what was happening or not happening or what was going to happen between the two."[4] Critics also noted the value of loyalty[5] and kindness being returned by the wolves.[6]

Cordell used blended watercolors in a "freeform" way for the illustrations.[7] There is a marked contrast in the drawings between the way the girl, who is drawn "almost cartoonish[ly]"[3] and the scary realism of the wolves.[3][8] The importance and role of the book's typography drew comparisons to comic books.[8]

Criticism and awards

Wolf in the Snow received positive reviews including starred reviews from Booklist,[5] Kirkus Reviews,[6] Horn Book Guide, Horn Book Magazine,[9] Publishers Weekly,[10] and School Library Journal.[7] It was also listed as a best book of 2017 by National Public Radio,[3] Horn Book Magazine,[11] School Library Journal,[12] Kirkus,[13] the Boston Globe,[14] and Huffington Post.[1]

The American Library Association awarded the book its 2018 Caldecott Medal citing its "fairy tale elements and a strong sense of color and geometry offer an engrossing, emotionally charged story."[2] Award Committee Chair Tish Wilson said, “Committee members were astonished that a deceptively simple book could be such a dramatic story of survival.”[2] In his Caldecott acceptance speech, Cordell revealed that an early illustration that turned into the story came from his disappointment that an earlier book of his, Hello! Hello!, had not been recognized. [15]

References

  1. 1 2 Le, Minh (8 December 2017). "Best Picture Books of 2017". Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 "Erin Entrada Kelly, Matthew Cordell win Newbery, Caldecott Medals". ALANews. American Library Association. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bird, Elizabeth. "NPR's Book Concierge: Our Guide To 2017's Great Reads". National Public Radio. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  4. ↑ Cordell, Matthew. "Wolf in the Snow: Matthew Cordell's 2017 BGHB Picture Book Honor Speech". Horn Book. Horn Book. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  5. 1 2 "Wolf in the Snow" (Vol 113 No 8). Booklist. 15 December 2016.
  6. 1 2 "Wolf in the Snow Review". Kirkus. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  7. 1 2 Blenski, Peter (3 January 2017). "Wolf in the Snow" (January 2017). School Library Journal. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  8. 1 2 Parravano, Martha (26 September 2017). "Wolf in the Snow". Calling Caldecott. Horn Book. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  9. ↑ Gall, Elisa (2 January 2017). "Review of Wolf in the Snow". Horn Book. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  10. ↑ "Children's Book Review: Wolf in the Snow". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  11. ↑ "Horn Book Fanfare 2017". Hornbook. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "SLJ's Best of 2017 Picture Books". School Library Journal. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  13. ↑ "Best Picture Books of 2017". Kirkus. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  14. ↑ Rizzuto, Lauren (7 December 2017). "Best children's and YA books of 2017". Boston Globe. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
  15. ↑ Cordell, Matthew. "Caldecott Medal Acceptance." The Horn Book Magazine, July-Aug. 2018, p. 47+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A548321756/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=GPS&xid=5a22ec7e. Accessed 10 Aug. 2018.
Awards
Preceded by
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat		 Caldecott Medal
2017		 Succeeded by


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