Orchard Books ISBN 978140835-5299 £12.99
Far, far away in the North, there was a forest, deep and forgotten. Old pines wrapped around each other, protecting its mystery. Over the treetops loomed a mountain and from the midst of the branches came a never-ending whisper.
This is the story of a wolf (the biggest ever born) and a lonely young woman with a beautiful voice, a voice that captivates the wolf to the point where he wants to befriend her, even if it means losing his reputation as a fearsome hunter. The language is lyrical throughout, with the true storyteller’s gift for painting a picture through simile and metaphor. The illustrations by Sarda use a limited palette effectively, but this is a text that lends itself to reading aloud in the first instance, allowing free rein to pupils’ imaginations. A book that is aimed at KS1 but which would springboard discussion into difference, trust and friendship further up the school too.
Elizabeth Broad