Lesson for the Wolf by R. & S. Qitsualik-Tinsley
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20361/G2XW34Abstract
Qitsualik-Tinsley, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley. Lesson for the Wolf. Illus. Alan Cook. Iqaluit, NU: Inhabit Media, 2015. Print.
The writing duo of Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley are back with a story about being comfortable in your own skin, literally. The wolf in this story is not happy to be a wolf, so with the help of “the magic of the land”, he acquires owl’s feathers, the wolverine’s tail and the caribou’s antlers. But he cannot fly like the owl or eat lichen like the caribou and he is too different from the wolves, so he becomes sad, lonely and starves. Eventually he learns the beauty of being himself and the magic of the land restores him. The story is a lovely Arctic fable on the lesson of being true to one’s self.
Alan Cook’s paintings capture the wildness of the Arctic, with sweeping brush-strokes and suggestions of distant landscapes. The animals are all cartoon-like creatures, sometimes verging on caricature. Both the wolves and the caribou are drawn with over-accentuated face length and extreme thinness of the abdomen.
Children who are struggling to be satisfied with and confident in their identities may be able to identify with the wolf. This book would be a good starting point for discussion. Highly recommended for elementary school libraries and public libraries.
Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4
Reviewer: Sandy Campbell
Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
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