Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A wolf guides two lost children home in this Plains Indian tale; the "straightforward text evokes rich emotions," said PW of this "magnificent" picture book. Ages 5-8. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 4-- New text, jacket, and rich reproduction of the color art mark this revised edition of The Friendly Wolf (Bradbury, 1974; o.p.). The basic story remains the same: two young Plains Indian children get lost while berry-picking, and are protected and led home by a wolf which is then honored by the children's people. Goble has made the wolf in this version less terrifying to the children in keeping with his more overt message about modern treatment of wolves by human beings. His ending assumes the wolves' absence until ``we . . . have the wolves in our hearts and dreams again.'' This mild didacticism does not add to the tale, nor, unfortunately, does the rewritten text. While some of the language has been improved, much of the story's flow is lost to a string of declaratives; it smacks of easy readerizing, and the truncation of the original is often awkward and confusing. This is particularly disappointing because the new illustrations and print layout are so much more appealing: this effort could have been a real knockout. Illustrations that were slightly murky and muddy now appear brilliant and distinct, vividly showing off Goble's trademark style--thin white space outlining the stylized figures in glorious traditional Plains Indian garb. Good ``good wolf'' stories are hard to come by, and offer a discussion-rich (not to mention politically correct) contrast to the abundance of good ``bad wolf'' tales out there; this will be a useful addition to the former, but it is not something worth howling about. -- Nancy Palmer, The Little School, Bellevue, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Goble retells, in simplified and graceful prose, his story of 'The Friendly Wolf' (Bradbury) who helps two lost children find their way home. For this, the wolf will forever be revered by the Great Plains Indians. The new cover is more attractive than the old, and Goble's trademark illustrations glow with crisp detail. A final page of native American wolf poems is a bonus. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Retelling his own The Friendly Wolf (by Dorothy & Paul Goble, 1974), Goble tightens the language, reducing the text by half and tucking in additional comments on native Americans. Best of all, his beautiful illustrations--reproduced anew from the original--are now crisp and clean in the manner of his more recent titles; there's also a new jacket. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
