Otter-Barry ISBN 9781910959930 £12.99
I am Wild Wolf, guardian spirit to the people who live in the high mountains. Many times, I have seen that danger is not outside in the forest, but inside humans…. So begins the retelling of a traditional tale of the Algonquin people, but with a happier ending than the original. When Bravest Warrior is rejected by Proud Girl, he vows revenge. He fashions a man made from ice, clothes it with his finest garments, and inevitably proud girl falls in love and marries. Ice Man of course melts in the sun, leaving only his fine clothes for Proud Girl to find. Were it not for the ministrations of Wild Wolf, she would have died from the cold. Bravest Warrior is overcome with remorse at his actions, comes to find her and she returns with him to the Great Lake, no longer a proud woman. The illustrations are stunning, inspired by the beadwork, needlework and art of the Algonquin people, and the tale has apparently been approved by one of their storytellers. So far so worthy, and good to know. This retelling lacks the natural flow and rhythm of an oral tale, which does not do the illustrations justice and which has the potential to reduce the power of the tale. It would however be a pity not to let pupils experience the work of this talented illustrator, perhaps using it as inspiration for their own retellings.
Elizabeth Broad