Big Wolf & Little Wolf

By Nadine Brun-Cosme, translated by Claudia Bedrick, and Illustrated by Oliver Tallec

2010 Batchelder Award Honor Book

Recommended for Children Ages: Preschool-Grade 2
Fiction

Summary:
     Big Wolf hapily spends his days alone ontop of the hill beneath his tree, that is until one day when a stranger, Little Wolf, decides to join him. Big Wolf is very unsure of his feelings about this stranger, but agrees to allow the stranger to join him in his daily task without saying a word. The Little Wolf begins to work his way into Big Wolfs heart as the day goes on. Big Wolf then leaves to take his daily walk and Little Wolf decides to stay behind. When Big Wolf returns he is sad to see that his new conrade is not there under his tree. Big Wold is surprised by his emotions and how much that he misses his new friend, he is unable to complete his daily chores and can do nothing but wait in hopes that he will see his new friend again. When Little Wolf finally returned then Big Wolf welcomed his new friend back and explained how lonely his life was without Little Wold. They then lived together happily from that time on.
     Children will enjoy this story as they will wonder about how the two wolves will interact. There will be many opportunities for children to predict the characters actions throughout reading the story. As Big Wolf comes back from his walk to find Little Wolf gone, the children will feel his hearbreak over his discovered loneliness. The children will be hopeful that Little Wolf will return and will share in Big Wolf's joy when he does. The children will connect with the characters and their feelings as they listen to the story of Big Wolf and Little Wolf. They will also enjoy the simple and bright colored illustrations.

Suggestions for the Classroom:
     This is a story about friendship and it teaches children to open up their world to new people. This would be a wonderful book to read to children on their first day of school as children are feeling anxious about being accepted and making new friends. This book would also helpful in working with children on Character Education and discussing what it means to be accepted and to be a good friend.
* Pre-Reading: You could talk to students about how they are feeling on their first day in a new classroom. Do they know any of the other students? This is a good way to begin conversations about how to make friends?
* During Reading: Ask students questions about how the characters are feeling: How does Big Wolf feel about the other wolf as he is getting closer? Why does he decide that the Little Wolf is okay? How do you think the Little Wolf feels about the Big Wolf? Why? Why is the Big Wold sad when he comes back to see the Little Wolf is gone? Why did the Little Wolf come back? How has the Big Wolf changed?
* Post-Reading: Discuss with the students what it means to be a friend. Have the students discuss with a partner on the rug whether or not Big Wolf was a good friend to Little Wolf? Begin a T-Chart contrasting qualities that make a good friend and qualities that do not make a good friend. Older students would be able to work on completing this chart with a partner, preferable someone who they do not already know to allow them opportunities to get to know eachother and to make new friends.

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Nadine Brun-Cosme has also authored two additional Big Wolf and Little Wolf Books:
Big Wolf and Little Wolf, The Leaf That Wouldn't Fall and
Big Wolf and Little Wold, Such a Beautiful Orange