The Little Wolves

Lured by the intoxicating spring air, a wolf cub wakes before the rest of the litter in this sensory animal story. Then “her sister and two brothers woke up as well and came to sniff the forest-scented darkness.” Venturing forth while their mother hunts, the four gaze into the lake and see four more cubs. They dive in to investigate, getting wet but finding no other cubs, then dry off and discover that hedgehogs cannot be eaten. They encounter an owl and a hunter and listen carefully for their mother’s howl in order to find their way home again. In Herrmann’s story, ably translated by Wilson, the cubs’ experience stays faithful to the natural world, described evocatively (“its rays warmed the skin of the cubs”). Striking art by Polish artist Wilkon´ recall traditional Chinese ink paintings, with naturalistic forms and a palette of earth colors. There is something reassuring about spreading the story’s focus over a group of similar, unnamed main characters. They are never alone, even when they are lost, and they experience outdoor firsts without rivalry or conflict between them. Ages 4–8. [em](Mar.) [/em]