By Margaret Wild
Illustrated by Anne Spudvilas
Front Street, 2006
Genre
Picture Book
Awards
- Aurealis Award for Best Children's Fiction (2006)
- Shortlist for ABPA Book Design Award: Picture Book Nominee (2007)
- Shortlist for CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award (2007)
Review
Set in an unknown situation, possibly an apocalypse, some kind of government with invasive surveillance, or even his own paranoid delusions, Ben hides from the "woolvs" in a basement. He is alone, but for the woman upstairs; he tries to warn her about the "woolvs", but she doesn't believe him and he means the "luvlee wyld creechis, running in the woods", but it seems more likely they are people. When this woman suddenly disappears, Ben decides to risk the outside dystopian world to find her. The dark illustrations in watercolor and charcoal perfectly show this frightening world that Ben phonetically describes. Though unsure of what is happening, this book entices the reader, wondering what may really be going on and hints at a much greater story that begs to be told after the last page.
Opinion
This was a unique book; though set in the familiar feel of a children's picture book, it is far more appropriate for the middle school or high school age group. The artwork is beautiful and haunting, all of the book pushing the reader forward to discover what the "woolvs" are, only to be left wondering at its close.
Ideas
I think this would be a great project for an English class or Psychology class (if taking the idea of paranoid delusions): to read the book and have the class write about what the "woolvs" are and maybe even what happens next or what was really happening.
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