Wednesday 9 December 2020

Waiting for Wolf by Sandra Dieckmann, review by Lynda Waterhouse


 Shaun Tan describes this beautiful story as ‘A heartfelt fable about the pain of grief, and the joy of its revelation.’ If these wise words were not enough to encourage me to open the book, then the quote from Daniel Johnson’s lyrics worked their magic.

‘The colours are bright, bright as ever.

The red is strong, the blue is true.

Some things last a long time.

Some things last a lifetime.

I had seen Daniel Johnson perform at the Union Chapel; taken there by a good friend. A few years later, just like Wolf, my friend had disappeared from our lives.   

So, this is how the story goes:

Fox and his old friend Wolf spend a perfect day together at their favourite spot by the lake. They talk and laugh and swim together in the bright sunshine. Towards the end of this perfect day, Wolf places a big, grey paw on Fox’s shoulder and says, ‘Tomorrow I will be starlight.’

The next day Wolf is nowhere to be found. Fox searches everywhere and still she waits for Wolf.

He said he was going to be starlight,

So maybe he’s up there in the sky.’

As night falls Fox heads up the mountains that surround the lake and calls out for Wolf. She is in search of the brightest star. She pulls the ‘shining star blanket’ around her and cries in the darkness. This is the moment that she knows that Wolf is never coming back. Through her tears she recalls Wolf’s words; ‘Life really is beautiful.’ From that moment ‘all the things they had done together came flooding back in bright colours.’  Fox now understands that Wolf is gone but all their happy memories would be with her always. She is able to carry on.

The world is surrounded by swirly, jagged mountains that we first meet in a cool green on the endpapers. There is also a bird that will appear throughout the story to support Fox. By the end of the story the landscape is flooded by light and sunshine. The illustrations reveal the emotional journey. The image of Fox wrapped in the velvety star blanket is heart wrenching but is followed by an image of a little red paw in the sunshine which moves us beyond the grief and sadness. Fox is not alone. There is the little bird and also a mouse for friendship and support, and of course there are happy memories.

The impact of this story lasts a long time.

 

ISBN 978-1-444-94659

Hodder Children’s Books

www.hachettechildrens.co.uk




Return to REVIEWS HOMEPAGE

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

DR EMU WHO HELP PEOPLE IN ANY TYPE OF LOTTERY NUMBERS
It is a very hard situation when playing the lottery and never won, or keep winning low fund not up to 100 bucks, i have been a victim of such a tough life, the biggest fund i have ever won was 100 bucks, and i have been playing lottery for almost 12 years now, things suddenly change the moment i came across a secret online, a testimony of a spell caster called dr emu, who help people in any type of lottery numbers, i was not easily convinced, but i decided to give try, now i am a proud lottery winner with the help of dr emu, i won $1,000.0000.00 and i am making this known to every one out there who have been trying all day to win the lottery, believe me this is the only way to win the lottery.

Contact him on email Emutemple@gmail.com
What's app +2347012841542
Https://emutemple.wordpress.com/
Https://web.facebook.com/Emu-Temple-104891335203341

Liliana moore said...

My husband and I have been married for about 7 yrs now. We were happily married with two kids, a boy and a girl. 3 months ago, I started to notice some strange behavior from him and a few weeks later I found out that my husband is seeing someone. He started coming home late from work, he hardly cares about me or the kids anymore, Sometimes he goes out and doesn't even come back home for about 2-3 days. I did all I could to rectify this problem but all to no avail. I became very worried and needed help. As I was browsing through the Internet one day, I came across a website that suggested that Dr Jumba can help solve marital problems, restore broken relationships and so on. So, I felt I should give him a try. I contacted him and he did a spell for me. Two days later, my husband came to me and apologized for the wrongs he did and promised never to do it again. Ever since then, everything has returned back to normal. My family and I are living together happily again.. All thanks to Dr Jumba . If you need a spell caster that can cast a spell that truly works, I suggest you contact him. He will not disappoint you. This is his Email :

wiccalovespelltools@gmail. com

WhatsApp +19085174108

Anonymous said...

Lottery is something majority of the people in the world want to win, not only winning the lottery, but they want to win big, I have been playing the lottery for couple of years now, but I haven't really win big, personally I always think there is something behind all those winners who always win big, because my intense always tell me that every thing is possible, I manage to get in contact with one of the biggest lottery winner in the UK, I asked him about the success, and he referred me to a very powerful spell caster Dr.Prince he is indeed a great man who I explained to, without no hidden details , (I really want to win the lottery so bad) he put to work and few days letter he gave me numbers that never fails , these numbers was what I played and i won £3,000000,00, 3 Million pounds, is blessed , you too can change your life too with his help, contact email: obinnaspelltemple@yahoo.com
WhatsApp him: +18488416266

grace said...

My husband was once loving and caring but to a point he stopped and totally forsake me, he wasn’t having time for me because he was having an affair, i was so devastated that i didn’t know what to do. I did love him so much, even when he was still not caring and was cheating i couldn’t leave cause i still loved him, i sorted for help from every where i could to have my husband back, i luckily found Dr Abaka who was helping people out on relationship and marriage issues. I went on and contacted him, i explained what i was going through in my marriage, then he assured me that he would help me, i did all that he instructed me to do and then he told me that my husband would return to me after some days, i waited patiently and after some days passed my husband came home one evening and started apologizing to me to forgive him for how he had been treating me, i was so surprised beyond words that i can’t thank him enough. you can reach him on via Email drabakaspelltemple@gmail.com or Whats-app +( 1 ) 484_820_1518

Anonymous said...

I have never seen a miracle like this in my entire life.
My husband left me and my 5 year old boy for over 9 months,
I was so traumatized and frustrated, because of the love I have for my husband I seeked for help from different places to bring him back to me but there was no difference. Until my mother introduced me to ( DR DAWN) this doctor promised me that my husband will come back to me in 48 hours after I explained everything to him, and to my greatest surprise my husband called me after 48 hours and was begging me to forgive him that he will never leave me again, all thanks to Dr DAWN because for over 3 year's now I have been happy with my husband and he treats me like a queen,
Contact DR DAWN, if you have any kind of problem.

*TO GET BACK YOUR LOVER.
*TO RECONCILE
*TO GET PREGNANT
*TO CURE CANCER
*TO REVENGE
*TO PROMOTE BUSINESS
*TO GET BACK YOUR MONEY/PROPERTY
*TO CURE HIV/AIDS OR OTHER SICKNESS.
Contact him: dawnacuna314@gmail.com
Whatsapp: +2349046229159

Anonymous said...



Join the Illuminati Freemason Brotherhood!!!Email illuminatisecretetemple666@yahoo.com.........

BENEFITS GIVEN TO NEW MEMBERS WHO JOIN ILLUMINATI.
1.A Cash reward worth $500,000, 00 after initiation.
2.A New Sleek Dream CAR valued at $100,000
3.A Dream House bought in the country of your own choice
4.One Month holiday (fully paid) to your dream tourist destination.
5.One year Golf Membership package
6.A V.I.P treatment in all Airports in the World
7.A total Lifestyle change
8.Access to Bohemian Grove.
9.Monthly payment of $300,000 into your bank account every month as a member
10.One Month booked.appointment with Top 5 world Leaders and Top 5 Celebrities in the World, If you are suffering from Herpes...contact this herbal doctor today on this Email:robinsonbuckler@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Cure to Hsv-1&2, it works, I recommend R.buckler11@gmail.com,.....

Post a Comment