Starred review from August 7, 2017
Discovered by a polar bear, an accidentally abandoned wolf cub flattens his ears against his head in fear, declares, “You are not my mother,” and expects the worst. “Aren’t you going to eat me?” he asks. But the polar bear, for reasons never expressed, demurs and takes the cub into her life. While insisting “I am not your mother” again and again, she does everything a mother would: she cuddles him, keeps him safe, plays with him, teaches him how to catch food, and (eventually) sends him into the world. Painted, once again, on plywood, Stoop’s compositions are largely composed along the same horizontal plane, mostly eschewing close-ups. And it works: the subdued visual mood is a lovely match for Banks’s unadorned prose, and the characters’ relationship to the harsh landscape underscores their resilience. By story’s end, when the wolf pays the polar bear’s kindness forward, it’s clear that offering compassion is what keeps “the wondrous wheel of life” moving forward. Ages 3–7. Author’s agent: Rick Margolis, Rising Bear Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates.
Starred review from August 1, 2017
PreS-Gr 2-At the close of an Arctic winter, a wolf pup, stranded on an ice floe, is rescued by a polar bear. "I am not your mother," says the bear, but she assures the fearful pup that she will care for and shelter him. As the seasons turn, she protects the pup, plays with him, and teaches him to fish until at last it is time to let him go. Now an adult leading his own pack, the wolf discovers a lone polar bear cub and brings the kindness shown to him full circle. The illustrations, rendered in acrylic, ink, pencil, and pastels and digitally finished, depict the landscape in muted shades of gray, blue, green, and tan, with occasional splashes of color as the sun breaks over the frozen tundra. Alert readers will notice the gradual change in the wolf pup's coloring. Several other animals-puffins, a gray owl, a walrus, a snow goose, seals, and lemmings-also appear. The text contains poetic descriptions such as "fierce wind" that "holler[s] and roar[s]," and unexpected juxtapositions such as "[a] throb of silence." VERDICT The lyrical writing makes this a wonderful read-aloud. This story of extraordinary kindness may also prompt a discussion of diverse families. A first purchase.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA
Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 15, 2017
A lost wolf pup is taken in by a polar bear in Banks and Stoop's sweet arctic tale. As winter descends on the Arctic tundra, a young wolf pup becomes separated from his pack, isolated on an ice floe. He swims to shore, tired and cold, and finds himself face to face with a large polar bear. Frightened, the pup is perplexed when the bear nuzzles him rather than attacking: "Aren't you going to eat me?" After all, "Polar bears eat wolves." "Not this one" is the polar bear's reply, and she explains that though she is not his mother, she can keep him safe and warm. The two stay together through the Big Freeze and the Big Melt, the bear teaching the pup how to fish, playing with him, and, when the time comes, gently sending him out into the world on his own. The pup, now a fully grown arctic wolf, acquires a pack of his own, leading it over the tundra until, one day, he comes upon a small polar bear cub alone in the snow and pays forward the care he was shown as a pup. This quiet tale of kindness, adoption, and reciprocity uses sparse text to great effect among the crisp, wind-swept, snow-laden illustrations that practically crunch as the pages turn, cycling through the "wheel of life." A chilly tale to warm the heart. (Picture book. 3-7)
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October 1, 2017
Preschool-G As the Big Melt begins in the Arctic, a little wolf finds himself alone, adrift on a sheet of ice. He swims toward land, where a polar bear finds and nurtures the shy pup. She nuzzles him, plays with him, scolds him, teaches him to fish, and, when he's older, nudges him to strike out on his own. Now full grown and leading his own pack, the wolf discovers a motherless polar bear cub in a snowdrift. He promises her warmth, shelter, and protection until she's ready to survive on her own. The simply written text deals with fundamental needs of the young. And while the main story is well told and complete on its own, the turn-around ending with its parallel phrasing adds a heartwarming twist. The writer-illustrator of Red Knit Cap Girl (2012), Stoop contributes a series of stylized pictures that effectively use understated colors. Applying acrylic paints, ink, pencils, and pastels to plywood, she sometimes lets the wood grain show through to suggest elements of the landscape. A strong, tender picture book.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2018
In Banks's gentle story about a loving, if unconventional, parent-child relationship, an Arctic wolf pup stranded on an ice floe is rescued by a polar bear who recognizes what he needs: "I am not your mother...but I can cuddle you and keep you safe." Stoop's captivating mixed-media-on-plywood illustrations, with their delicate lines and visible woodgrain texture, capture both the characters' trusting bond and the harsh setting's beauty.
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
March 1, 2018
A comforting jacket illustration of a wolf pup safely nestled within a large polar bear's protective embrace signals that this story focuses on a loving, if unconventional, parent-child relationship. The little arctic wolf's adventure begins when he's stranded on an ice floe and separated from his pack. He's rescued by the polar bear, who recognizes what the pup needs: I am not your mother?but I can cuddle you and keep you safe. The wolf is understandably wary: Polar bears eat wolves. Not this one, the bear reassures him. With soothing repetition, Banks's gentle text radiates warmth and love. Stoop's captivating mixed-media-on-plywood illustrations, with their delicate lines and visible woodgrain texture, capture both the characters' trusting bond and the harsh setting's beauty. Over time, the bear teaches the growing pup how to survive, until, finally: I am not your mother?but I know it's time for you to go. The satisfyingly cyclical story ends as it began ( the Big Freeze came, followed by the Big Melt ); the now-grown wolf, who leads his own pack, finds an abandoned polar bear cub and knows instinctively what to do. Is it all too neat? Maybe, but the book's intended audience will cuddle up to the nurturing message. kitty flynn
(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)