Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

This book will give you warm, snuggly feelings.  A sweet story of kindness and trust,  Wolf in the Snow follows a little girl's walk home from school.  As the snow begins to fall, first gently, and then heavily, the girl loses her way.  Nearby, a pack of wolves with a cub gets separated from the cub.  The girl and the cub meet in the snow, learn to trust each other and help each other.

Wolf in the Snow earned the well-deserved Caldecott Medal for 2018.  The illustrations are stunning as wordless picture books must have impeccable illustrations to tell the story the author intended.  The pictures provide clear details of the story, but still leave some room for imagination.  An obvious, possible activity would be to have students write their own text for the book, giving them the opportunity to use their imaginations and ask/answer questions that the lack of text answers.  Why are the only words in the book the sounds of a dog barking?  How did the girl get lost?  Where did she get lost?  Why did her parents send her to school to walk home in a winter storm?  Students will enjoy that all of their answers to any questions will be correct as they author their own version of the story.

The lack of actual text in the story does not distract from the incredible story that unfolds page after page.  The illustrations depict the heart of a lost, but determined little girl, how she saves a wolf cub, and how the wolf cub, in turn, saves her.  The story is a true representation of why we should choose kindness, because kindness is always right.