Cover Image: Little Wise Wolf

Little Wise Wolf

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute little book. I liked the illustrations. The character was unique and the story worked well.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for a review copy of this children’s book.

This is a story about a little wolf who gains a lot of knowledge and misses the mark of being wise. With the help of his friends he discovers how important they truly are to him.

Illustrations are a lit dark, but still nice.

Was this review helpful?

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I love this book about a wise Wolf is was wise because he read big books.

Was this review helpful?

I received an electronic ARC from Kids Can Press through NetGalley.
The little wolf reads and studies all the time. He reads so much that he completely ignores the other animals until he is summoned to heal the king. His journey is long and difficult. The other animals help him on the way. He realizes he needs to adjust his attitude and spends his time with friends as well as reading and studying plants.
Soft colored illustrations pull readers in to see the wolf's life and changes in attitude. He learns a lesson and readers can too.

Was this review helpful?

A book with a decidedly European feel about it. The illustrations and sensibility both. The art is highly stylized, almost muddy and unrefined. But it sort of works. The story is a bit odd, though I appreciate the message of the responsibility we have to uses our abilities to help others. Surprisingly complex.

Was this review helpful?

I thought that this was a really nice book to read and it has some lovely images.

The book only has a few sentences per page so it is a relaxing read and it is an ideal book for youngsters that are beginning to read and learn more about helping others and making time for friends.

It is 4 stars from me for this one – a lovely little read and it has a good underlying story too – highly recommended!

Was this review helpful?

I have been unable to open the file or download it in the first place.
Normally, I have these sent directly to my Kindle.
I'd love to read and review this book.... judging by the cover, the description, and other reviews.
How did others get this file open?

Was this review helpful?

A very nice album on wisdom and friendship!

This little wolf reads so many books that he knows a lot of things. His neighbors, fascinated by his knowledge, ask him lots of questions, which he refuses to answer because he finds that it's a waste of time. However, when he will have to undertake a long journey to rescue the King, he will discover that he doesn't know everything and that the animals he had previously repelled are of great help to him...

A very beautiful message on what it's to be "wise", but also on what others can bring us thanks to their friendship! ^^

Was this review helpful?

This book is a wonderful book to teach children that community is one of the most important things we have. Little Wise Wolf is very smart, but he never takes the time to use his intelligence to help others, preferring instead to be alone and learn more. When he has to go on a journey, he encounters several things that he cannot face alone, and he learns the importance of friendship and sharing. Beautiful illustrations and great story!

Was this review helpful?

An unassuming, charming tale of interdependence and community. Though Little Wise Wolf was well-read and bright, his pride stacked up like his books. He had no regard for others and failed to see his need for their presence and strengths in his life. Through a surprising journey, the wolf confronts his weaknesses and finally receives the help of his friends. Humbled by these acts of mercy, Little Wise Wolf recognizes how much his friends—different as they are—have to offer and teach him. I’m always grateful for children’s books like this with a subtle, yet rich message woven throughout. Personally, I think the style of illustration was unique and oddly calming. LWW will have to find its way to my shelves!

Was this review helpful?

A rich, poetic telling of a little wolf who has no time for others because of his love for reading, written in a warm tone and illustrated with thoughtful, masterful paintings. A visual feast worth getting lost in.

Was this review helpful?

This lovely picture book by Gijs van der Hammen, translated from Dutch by Laura Watkinson and quietly illustrated by Hanneke Siemensma has the feel of a timeless traditional folktale where the protagonist is given a mission or sent on a quest and encounters challenges and helpers along the way.

Little Wise Wolf, the title character, is a big reader, a bit of a loner and a bit of a know-it-all who is called to assist a sick king. Other animals support him along the way on his journey, and he realizes the value of friends, connectedness and how we learn from each other.

This is a very nice book with a lesson that successfully manages not to be annoyingly didactic about it. And I can clearly see why Hanneke was nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal for her work on it, which matches tone of the story so well. The gentle movement of the illustrations and the muted palette with pops of red are lovely.

I read a digital proof of Little Wise Wolf via NetGalley and the publisher, Kids Can Press.

Was this review helpful?

The illustrations in this story are simple and not very eye catching. The story is great, but a little too complex for younger students. I'm afraid my students wouldn't be able to follow along, and the illustrations aren't engaging enough to hold their attention. I do think it would be worth trying out with older students, as I did enjoy the story itself.

Was this review helpful?

Unclear Message

I feel somewhat confused by the message of this book. The front book flap states that this is “an enlightening tale that reminds us that answers can be found in many places.” That wasn't my takeaway from the book. Little Wise Wolf loves to read and study nature. There's nothing wrong with that at all. Don’t we want to encourage our children to read and be curious? However, he seems too prideful and ignores the animals who live around him because he would prefer to be stuck in his books and research. One day, the king is ill and sends for him. It turns out to be quite a perilous journey to get from where Little Wise Wolf lives to the city where the king's palace is. Sometimes he gets help along the way, and other times, the others decide not to help him. For some reason, this makes Little Wise Wolf question his wisdom, though I am not sure why. Little Wise Wolf gets to the palace and heals the king, of course, using an herb that only he knows about. The king wants him to stay and be his royal doctor, but Little Wise Wolf refuses because he wants to go back to his forest and continue to learn with the animals there. Again, I'm not sure how this relates to what is stated on the front book flap. I wasn't particularly wild about the illustrations. I'm not quite sure of what the medium is, but it looks a little messy and indistinct to me. I think this worked when Little Wise Wolf was in the forest because it gave a mysterious look to it. But on his journey and at the palace, that effect didn't quite work as well.

Was this review helpful?

A story with a lesson that no matter how learned and wise we human can be, we wouldn't be able to survive alone without the help of others.

The story has been executed well. The art sequence started out really good with amazing hues of green and subtle illustrations but it faltered towards the end. Overall, a nice read.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc.

Was this review helpful?

Little Wise Wolf by Gijs van der Hammen is such a richly illustrated picture book that teaches that knowing when to ask for help and relying on the friendship of others is more important that feeling like you have all the answers. It's a subtle message, but it feels clear enough for little ones to understand. The formatting is a little difficult to see in its small font size - I would have liked larger text for bedtime reading. Overall, a sweet story about the value of friends. I'd definitely recommend it!

Was this review helpful?

This is the beautifully illustrated story of Little Wise Wolf, a wolf who had many questions and read all day long to find the answers, but never had time to answer others questions. When he is summoned to see the King, and has to make a long trip through unknown lands he discovers he also needs other people to answer his questions.

The story is cute, the pictures fantastic. I'd like to have a hard copy of this one for my kids.

Was this review helpful?

Amongst others, this book teaches the lesson that helping and accepting help is important. The message is packed into a lovingly illustrated children's book and each page offers a lot of talking and thinking material. I would deduct a star in my rating for the very small writing, which can be hard to read, especially during bedtime and with little heads bobbing around in front of the book.

Was this review helpful?

I'm not always impressed with translated picture books. But Little Wise Wolf seems to have survived being translated from the Dutch with most of its charm and message intact.

This is the story of a little wolf who spends so much time studying that he has no time for anything else (or so he thinks). When the king falls ill, he sends for Little Wise Wolf to cure him. The little wolf is hesitant at first; he'd rather stay at home and read more books. But he can't refuse the king, and so he begins his journey. As it turns out, shutting yourself in with books all day doesn't make you much of a navigator, and the little wolf repeatedly gets lost. But his friends show him a kindness and teach him a lesson that will last even after the journey is over.

The scrawled-looking illustrations are kind of cute (even though I'm not always a fan of this style). There's plenty to look at in the pictures. And there's something rather amusing about the wolf in his bright red boots and turquoise satchel.

The message is subtle but clear, and the text is nice and neat. Overall, I would recommend this book, especially for those looking for picture books with messages about kindness and empathy.

Was this review helpful?

I love the art style of this book! It's gorgeous. The content wows me a little less. I appreciate the message of the importance of friendship, but when LWW's friends made their appearance to wake him, I had to go back to make sure I hasn't missed anything. Overall, great art, great message, I didn't love the execution, but I think this will be loved by many of its readers.

Was this review helpful?