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Wolves
WOLVES What do wolves really like to eat? It isn't little girls in red hoods.
Rabbits shouldn't believe what they read in fairy tales, but this book has the facts. (This book follows the National Carroticulum.)
Rabbits shouldn't believe what they read in fairy tales, but this book has the facts. (This book follows the National Carroticulum.)
40 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2005
15 people are currently reading
1276 people want to read
About the author
Emily Gravett
79 books278 followersEmily Gravett is twice winner of the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal and the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Bronze Award for WOLVES and LITTLE MOUSE'S BIG BOOK OF FEARS. An author/illustrator of unique talent and tremendous skill, she has a host of critically acclaimed books to her name, including BLUE CHAMELEON, WOLF WON'T BITE! and AGAIN! Emily lives in Brighton with her partner and their daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 484 reviews
July 1, 2019
هذه قصة أرنب يذهب إلى المكتبة ليقرأ عن الذئاب، هل يفعل ذلك بداعي الفضول المحض، أم تراه يؤمن بضرورة أن يعرف المرء عدوّه؟
نرى في الكتاب تلك المساحة الشاسعة بين المعلومة الواحدة وبين ما تثيره في المخيّلة من صور وانطباعات، مخيّلة كانت بالقوة الكافية لكي تتجسد وتلتهم صاحبها؟
وللقارئ الحساس، هناك نهاية أخرى مثالية ومناسبة للمرهفين؛ هذا ذئب نباتي ولم يأكل الأرنب، وعاش الاثنان بسعادة إلى الأبد! أعتقد بأن الكتاب يسخر من حاجة الكبار لحماية الأطفال من حقائق الحياة؛ من فكرة الموت والفقد والألم. يستحق القراءة مليًا، فهو كتاب مراوغ ومتعدد المستويات رغم بساطته الظاهرة. اقتنيته من أمازون.
نرى في الكتاب تلك المساحة الشاسعة بين المعلومة الواحدة وبين ما تثيره في المخيّلة من صور وانطباعات، مخيّلة كانت بالقوة الكافية لكي تتجسد وتلتهم صاحبها؟
وللقارئ الحساس، هناك نهاية أخرى مثالية ومناسبة للمرهفين؛ هذا ذئب نباتي ولم يأكل الأرنب، وعاش الاثنان بسعادة إلى الأبد! أعتقد بأن الكتاب يسخر من حاجة الكبار لحماية الأطفال من حقائق الحياة؛ من فكرة الموت والفقد والألم. يستحق القراءة مليًا، فهو كتاب مراوغ ومتعدد المستويات رغم بساطته الظاهرة. اقتنيته من أمازون.
March 23, 2010
Unfortunately, I had a very strong negative reaction to this book. I wanted to like it for being interesting and engaging and... fun. I think it is supposed to be fun. We are supposed to chuckle and appreciate. Instead, I was saddened and angered.
Here is the story of a cute little rabbit who decides to read a book about wolves. As he reads through the pages, we turn the pages, and see him caught up in wolf fur (as we learn about wolf fur), surrounded by wolf legs and claws (when we learn about wolf claws), etc. It's as if we are in his imagination. It's a neat concept artistically. Indeed, it won the Kate Greenaway medal in 2005. (Thus the two star award.)
BUT, the whole time I kept thinking... okay, surely we are going to learn some NICE facts about wolves. And, surely we are going to see that wolves are not the horrible, evil, murderous monsters that are portrayed in the rabbit's imagination (and in the illustrations). Surely that will be the "moral" of this story. Well, no. The surprise ending and the "alternate happy ending" do nothing to promote a positive view of wolves.
I selected this book from the library a few weeks ago but hadn't got around to reading it yet--I'm a fan of wolves and hoped this would be cute. My timing in actually reading this book is ironic in that, over the weekend, I attended a presentation about wolf rescue. I learned, in depth, what I had already known superficially about wolves and the "bad rap" they have received for several hundred years. I doubt Emily Gravett has looked into a wolf's eyes, as I did that day. If she did, I am not sure how she could write a book that continues to promote a stereotype so detrimental to one of the most beautiful, sensitive and complex members of the animal kingdom.
Here is the story of a cute little rabbit who decides to read a book about wolves. As he reads through the pages, we turn the pages, and see him caught up in wolf fur (as we learn about wolf fur), surrounded by wolf legs and claws (when we learn about wolf claws), etc. It's as if we are in his imagination. It's a neat concept artistically. Indeed, it won the Kate Greenaway medal in 2005. (Thus the two star award.)
BUT, the whole time I kept thinking... okay, surely we are going to learn some NICE facts about wolves. And, surely we are going to see that wolves are not the horrible, evil, murderous monsters that are portrayed in the rabbit's imagination (and in the illustrations). Surely that will be the "moral" of this story. Well, no. The surprise ending and the "alternate happy ending" do nothing to promote a positive view of wolves.
I selected this book from the library a few weeks ago but hadn't got around to reading it yet--I'm a fan of wolves and hoped this would be cute. My timing in actually reading this book is ironic in that, over the weekend, I attended a presentation about wolf rescue. I learned, in depth, what I had already known superficially about wolves and the "bad rap" they have received for several hundred years. I doubt Emily Gravett has looked into a wolf's eyes, as I did that day. If she did, I am not sure how she could write a book that continues to promote a stereotype so detrimental to one of the most beautiful, sensitive and complex members of the animal kingdom.
November 15, 2011
Um. I'm not sure whether this little book is supposed to teach kids about wolves or scare the living daylights out of them. These are some pretty creepy wolves. If I'd read this as a kid I would still be sleeping with the lights on...
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June 22, 2010Most people don’t think of the library as a dangerous place, but in Wolves, Emily Gravett shows that you can never tell what lurks within the pages of a book. Uncluttered pages illustrate an unwary rabbit who is so absorbed in his new library book, a nonfiction book about wolves, he absentmindedly walks into some real trouble. Those readers needing reassurance can take comfort in the author’s promise that “no rabbits were eaten in the making of this book”.
Wolves is really a “sophisticated” picture book. In spite of its appearance, it is not really aimed at the preschool crowd. Although the stated age range for the book is ages 4-8, the book really requires a good understanding of narrative(there are two endings) and the ability to “read between the lines” using clues from the pictures. Wolves also communicates a much different message than most children’s books, even disturbing and subversive titles. Subversive children’s books generally provide child readers with a sense of control and power in a world where their actions are determined by outside authorities. Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are is an excellent example of this. Unlike Sendak’s book, though, Gravett’s work does not allow a child to take control. It actually creates a situation where the main character’s, and the child reader’s sense of security and power, is violated.
Wolves is more a work of ironic metafiction than a children’s book, and as such is more likely to be appreciated by older children and adults. And while children have their dark side, the grim humor doesn’t seem particularly age-appropriate for kids just getting the hang of “What’s green and sings”? Younger children may enjoy the illustrations (my son LOVED them) but most will miss out on the irony. However, older children, teens and adults who enjoyed the dark humor and postmodern illustrations in Gaiman and McKean’s Wolves in the Walls will probably get more out of Gravett’s contribution to the growing area of sophisticated picture books.
Review by Kirsten Kowalewski
Wolves is really a “sophisticated” picture book. In spite of its appearance, it is not really aimed at the preschool crowd. Although the stated age range for the book is ages 4-8, the book really requires a good understanding of narrative(there are two endings) and the ability to “read between the lines” using clues from the pictures. Wolves also communicates a much different message than most children’s books, even disturbing and subversive titles. Subversive children’s books generally provide child readers with a sense of control and power in a world where their actions are determined by outside authorities. Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are is an excellent example of this. Unlike Sendak’s book, though, Gravett’s work does not allow a child to take control. It actually creates a situation where the main character’s, and the child reader’s sense of security and power, is violated.
Wolves is more a work of ironic metafiction than a children’s book, and as such is more likely to be appreciated by older children and adults. And while children have their dark side, the grim humor doesn’t seem particularly age-appropriate for kids just getting the hang of “What’s green and sings”? Younger children may enjoy the illustrations (my son LOVED them) but most will miss out on the irony. However, older children, teens and adults who enjoyed the dark humor and postmodern illustrations in Gaiman and McKean’s Wolves in the Walls will probably get more out of Gravett’s contribution to the growing area of sophisticated picture books.
Review by Kirsten Kowalewski
December 4, 2010
Why did I wait so many years to read this gem?
September 8, 2024
Part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For a fuller explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf.
Without the opportunity to browse the shelves in the usual way I've been just thinking of an author I like, looking them up at each of my usual sources, and thus, acquiring as many as possible. So now: Emily Gravett.
15 May 2021
I don't know how or why, but somehow I had gotten the review for Again posted on the Wolves page. So now I'm correcting that.
This is a book about libraries and books, more than it is about wolves, but there's a fun metafictional book reading here: on one level a rabbit goes to a library and checks out a book and reads it and we get to see what it is.
But on another level we learn that wolves love to eat...
With an alternate ending for sensitive readers.
***
4 February 2007
We like twisted tales, so this was a big hit all around.
Library copy
Without the opportunity to browse the shelves in the usual way I've been just thinking of an author I like, looking them up at each of my usual sources, and thus, acquiring as many as possible. So now: Emily Gravett.
15 May 2021
I don't know how or why, but somehow I had gotten the review for Again posted on the Wolves page. So now I'm correcting that.
This is a book about libraries and books, more than it is about wolves, but there's a fun metafictional book reading here: on one level a rabbit goes to a library and checks out a book and reads it and we get to see what it is.
But on another level we learn that wolves love to eat...
With an alternate ending for sensitive readers.
***
4 February 2007
We like twisted tales, so this was a big hit all around.
Library copy
November 9, 2017
Wow! Very unusual for a picture book to leave me nervously laughing in a combination of horror and surprise. A large part of the effectiveness of this book is due to the multimedia illustrations - you can see the texture of the cloth cover of a book in one key picture. Another key factor identified by my daughter: "painful irony". I loved it, but it's not for everyone - see my "I would recommend"
March 8, 2014
Wolves by Emily Gravett is a true masterpiece which I believe holds value across the key stages within a school.
The story is about a rabbit that takes a book out of the library titled ‘Wolves’. Inside there are lots of non-fiction facts about wolves and each page is a fascinating journey of its own. The rabbit can be seen reading the book whilst at the back the wolf is being pictured in various situations. Eventually the rabbit is supposedly gobbled up by the wolf however an alternative ending leaves some readers satisfied.
The reason I found this book to be so thrilling is because the nature of the text is completely different to what I knew. The book is essentially a fiction book, or is it non-fiction? An argument I’m sure that can be had among many people for a lifetime. Essentially the writing does not fit the pictures, which in itself is a difficult task to do.
I saw this book being taught to a year six class, astonishing when you think of the content involved. Effectively handled the book was picked apart picture by picture, only images being shown to the children and they created diary entries, newspaper reports, magazine articles and alternative endings just based on pictures as stimulus. Essentially the text can be used in KS1 when looking at non-fiction writing however I do believe the book to be best suited in KS2 where it can be dissected to its fullest advantage. The alternative ending also creates a nice touch to allow the sensitive readers to wallow in an ordinary tale of a rabbit and a wolf. Great to use during creative or big write sessions.
The story is about a rabbit that takes a book out of the library titled ‘Wolves’. Inside there are lots of non-fiction facts about wolves and each page is a fascinating journey of its own. The rabbit can be seen reading the book whilst at the back the wolf is being pictured in various situations. Eventually the rabbit is supposedly gobbled up by the wolf however an alternative ending leaves some readers satisfied.
The reason I found this book to be so thrilling is because the nature of the text is completely different to what I knew. The book is essentially a fiction book, or is it non-fiction? An argument I’m sure that can be had among many people for a lifetime. Essentially the writing does not fit the pictures, which in itself is a difficult task to do.
I saw this book being taught to a year six class, astonishing when you think of the content involved. Effectively handled the book was picked apart picture by picture, only images being shown to the children and they created diary entries, newspaper reports, magazine articles and alternative endings just based on pictures as stimulus. Essentially the text can be used in KS1 when looking at non-fiction writing however I do believe the book to be best suited in KS2 where it can be dissected to its fullest advantage. The alternative ending also creates a nice touch to allow the sensitive readers to wallow in an ordinary tale of a rabbit and a wolf. Great to use during creative or big write sessions.
July 13, 2010
My niece liked this book.
She can be so hard to figure out.
We've read a number of "darker" books. Generally, I find that the more comically they're illustrated and written, the more she'll enjoy them. The ones written in a more serious and realistic fashion tend to upset her and scare her.
So when she picked this one out at the library, I was dubious. Still, it's a short book, we could easily put it down.
Rabbit takes a book out at the library on wolves. He's so absorbed in the facts (which we read too) that he doesn't see he's literally walking right into a wolf's mouth until it's too late. He's clearly eaten, but just in case there are any sensitive children reading we have a deliberately poorly-done "alternative ending" set up. (Just in case they're really taken in, the buildup of mail outside Rabbit's door, including a very overdue notice for that book, tells the real tale!)
This book is written very dryly and very seriously. I would expect it to upset her - but no, she requested several re-reads. Go figure.
Read this before you buy, it might be too much for your kid. But if it's not, go for it. It's a good book if your kid likes it!
One practical caveat: The book includes a removable letter and a removable library card, the type you stamp with the due date and sign your name on (remember those?) These must be kept track of, or else they'll get lost.
She can be so hard to figure out.
We've read a number of "darker" books. Generally, I find that the more comically they're illustrated and written, the more she'll enjoy them. The ones written in a more serious and realistic fashion tend to upset her and scare her.
So when she picked this one out at the library, I was dubious. Still, it's a short book, we could easily put it down.
Rabbit takes a book out at the library on wolves. He's so absorbed in the facts (which we read too) that he doesn't see he's literally walking right into a wolf's mouth until it's too late. He's clearly eaten, but just in case there are any sensitive children reading we have a deliberately poorly-done "alternative ending" set up. (Just in case they're really taken in, the buildup of mail outside Rabbit's door, including a very overdue notice for that book, tells the real tale!)
This book is written very dryly and very seriously. I would expect it to upset her - but no, she requested several re-reads. Go figure.
Read this before you buy, it might be too much for your kid. But if it's not, go for it. It's a good book if your kid likes it!
One practical caveat: The book includes a removable letter and a removable library card, the type you stamp with the due date and sign your name on (remember those?) These must be kept track of, or else they'll get lost.
April 14, 2015
I adore Emily Gravett’s humorous picture books. “Wolves” is beautifully illustrated and has a totally different story than most of the picture books I’ve read so far. This is the story of a rabbit who borrows a book about wolves from the library in order to get to know what wolves eat (surprisingly, they do not eat Little Red Riding Hood!). The more the rabbit immerses in the book, the bigger the wolf becomes. Although the storyline is very simple, it is also very funny, with a dash of drama (wolves eat rabbits!), and ends with a rather happy resolution (there is an alternative ending in which wolves are vegetarians ). I appreciate the trick that Gravett made, namely the fact that the book about wolves is “inside” the book about the rabbit. There is even the secret cover which I managed to discover only after reading the book three times in a row. The illustrations are quite simple, but really beautiful. I like the fact that the drawings of the rabbit and the wolf are combined with the photos of the book about wolves, which makes the story more real and more gripping. This is probably one of my favorite picture books of all-time, because I laughed a lot while reading it.
February 3, 2018
This text first came to my attention when a Year 1 child came up to me to excitedly tell me about a book where there was a vegetarian wolf who ate a jam sandwich with a rabbit. If this wasn’t going to get attract my curiosity, I don’t know what would. Upon getting my hands on the text I was both surprised and enchanted by its pages due to its beautiful illustrations and interesting narrative.
The text begins with a rabbit checking out a book about wolves from the library and the reader shares this book with the rabbit, with some facts about wolves given on each page. However, the rabbit soon becomes part of the book it’s reading as the two parts of the book fuse when it is found out that rabbits are on the menu for wolves. Gravett provides an amusing and cheery alternative ending to the story for those with a sensitive disposition - our aforementioned tea party.
It would certainly be a useful tool to teach children about the effect of images on text, as many of the pages just show a fact which only when paired with the illustration become injected with emotion.
One of my favourites (so far).
The text begins with a rabbit checking out a book about wolves from the library and the reader shares this book with the rabbit, with some facts about wolves given on each page. However, the rabbit soon becomes part of the book it’s reading as the two parts of the book fuse when it is found out that rabbits are on the menu for wolves. Gravett provides an amusing and cheery alternative ending to the story for those with a sensitive disposition - our aforementioned tea party.
It would certainly be a useful tool to teach children about the effect of images on text, as many of the pages just show a fact which only when paired with the illustration become injected with emotion.
One of my favourites (so far).
October 4, 2011
A book within a book Wolves see's Rabbit get a book from the library about wolves which gets all too real when the rabbit meets a tragic end (Unless you follow the alternative ending, then not so tragic).
This is a brave and inventive book. The mixed media approach and scrapbook style layout of the illustrations makes it highly stylised, and I worry a little that the layout of the book is aimed at an older audience than the story, which itself contains some subtle and sly humour. That said it is a fantastic reference for children to see how mixed media can be brought together to make a singular and cohesive piece of work.
A joy to look through and it promotes libraries, just be careful what books you take out.
I would use this book throughout KS1 as I feel its layout makes it a perfect art resource for the older children as well as being a great book for younger children to enjoy hearing and exploring.
This is a brave and inventive book. The mixed media approach and scrapbook style layout of the illustrations makes it highly stylised, and I worry a little that the layout of the book is aimed at an older audience than the story, which itself contains some subtle and sly humour. That said it is a fantastic reference for children to see how mixed media can be brought together to make a singular and cohesive piece of work.
A joy to look through and it promotes libraries, just be careful what books you take out.
I would use this book throughout KS1 as I feel its layout makes it a perfect art resource for the older children as well as being a great book for younger children to enjoy hearing and exploring.
July 22, 2017
Wolves is a clever, informative, metafictive, ironic, and quite scary picturebook that managed to do what no other picturebook was able to do so far: it shocked me! A very unexpected and realistic ending, haha :)
November 22, 2017
I love this book. It's made to look like a library book (contextualised to the story. It IS a library book) and starts off following the rabbit as he/she starts reading it. There are so many excellent parts and things to notice. The text moves from the pages of the book (in the story) and becomes a narrative for the actual book. Almost as if the rabbit has become part of the book they're reading. I love the breaking of the 4th wall and the 'attempt' by the author to change the story into a happy one at the end. An amazing book that contains so many different aspects of picture books and narratives.
April 14, 2015
What a delight! A true postmodern, fairy tale-style picture book for children and adults alike. The story-within-a-story narration is intriguing and induces the desire to explore the book even more. Apart from that fact that the rabbit and his gradual immersion in the story of the book he is reading is absolutely cute and charming, the visual style of the author is appealing and intriguing. Beware the wolves, but definitely find a moment to delve into this story! It is an innocuous commentary on the nature of storytelling and multiple narratives.
October 20, 2008
A short, creative story that involves a little bunny doing some research on the title topic. The mixed media illustrations and simple, engaging narrative is fun to read aloud. We enjoyed reading this story together.
Apr 2012 update: One of our oldest daughter's classmates read this book aloud to a group of us during 'partner-read' time in her third grade class. Our group was a bit large, but the story is short and we thought it was fun to read together.
Apr 2012 update: One of our oldest daughter's classmates read this book aloud to a group of us during 'partner-read' time in her third grade class. Our group was a bit large, but the story is short and we thought it was fun to read together.
November 26, 2018
Book about a rabbit exploring wolves in a book in her local library.
The whole time the wolf in the story almost seems to come to life and hunt the rabbit down in the book. Then at the end there are two alternative endings for the children to explore.
The whole time the wolf in the story almost seems to come to life and hunt the rabbit down in the book. Then at the end there are two alternative endings for the children to explore.
March 17, 2017
"Wolves" tells the immersive tale of a rabbit who checks out a library book about wolves and learns about the creatures while increasingly becoming a part of the informative literature itself. Emily Gravett writes and illustrates the story in comprehensive but diversifying ways: the text is written in third person narrative and follows the tone of an informative piece of writing, while the illustrations offer a much more immersive experience as they mimic the text in both the illustrations of the book that Rabbit reads and Rabbit's experience outside of the library book.
Framing and positioning of text plays an important role in the construction of narrative in this book. The illustrations of Rabbit's outside world, which exist without framing, are shown alongside the illustrations of the book that Rabbit reads, which is framed in a way that distinguishes the book from the outside world. In the beginning of the story, when Rabbit first begins reading the library book "Wolves", the book itself is framed and offset to the left of the unframed illustration of Rabbit, which shows him walking along and reading the book. The next page of the book reveals the next page of Rabbit's book, which is still framed but takes up a larger portion of the page. As the story goes on, and Rabbit reads deeper into "Wolves", the framing of his book gets increasingly larger until the outline of the book goes beyond the boundaries of the pages and is no longer distinguishable from Rabbit's real world. The text on these pages is positioned only on the pages of the book that Rabbit reads and therefore only contains informative information about Wolves. When Rabbit reads about what wolves like to eat it becomes clear that Rabbit is, in fact, a vital character in the story about wolves and not simply just a reader - as the framing reappears momentarily on the very edge of the right page, encompassing the rabbit into the story entirely alongside the wolf. The story appears to end abruptly at this point as the next page shows the remains of Rabbit's library book. However, a scrap of paper is illustrated on the right side of the perceived-ending that states a continuation in the story if the reader wishes for an alternative ending. The following page is formally unframed, but the illustrations appear to be constructed together with bits of paper, framing each illustration in with the edges of torn paper, implying a sense of invalidity to the alternate ending of the story. The text of the story on this page also exists on a torn scrap piece of paper.
Line and color also offer insight into the narrative of the story that both the physical reader reads and the story that the rabbit reads. The pages of Rabbit's book "Wolves" are stark white and stand out against Rabbit's physical world which is represented with a yellowish background. Rabbit, himself, is illustrated as off-white, with bits of colorful lines in the shading of his fur. The illustrations of the book he reads are entirely black and white, while the cover of the book is a deep, solid red. Along with his coloring, Rabbit is drawn with sketchy outlines and a bit of crosshatching shading. The illustrations in his book also reflect this type of line - sketchy and incomplete - differentiating both Rabbit and the wolf illustrations from the solid and complete lines of the book itself and, in turn, creating a sense of relationship between Rabbit and the story he reads.
These comparative relationships are not just apparent in the representation of the rabbit's physical world and the world of the book he reads - they are also present in the construction of Gravett's picturebook itself. In the hardcover edition of the book, the endpapers in the inside covers have the same illustrated pattern as the endpapers of the book that Rabbit reads. The physical book underneath the white jacket also reveals a correlation between the actual-book and Rabbit's book: both are a deep and solid red with bold, black letters entitling the stories "WOLVES".
In a sense, this book is a book inside a book, inside a book. The story of Rabbit is the same: he exists in one world, his own, but then in another as he becomes a part of the story he reads, and in another as he is represented in the actual-book by Emily Gravett. The multifaceted story is, overall, a complexly interwoven work of literature that reads like a children's book and instills like a classic.
Framing and positioning of text plays an important role in the construction of narrative in this book. The illustrations of Rabbit's outside world, which exist without framing, are shown alongside the illustrations of the book that Rabbit reads, which is framed in a way that distinguishes the book from the outside world. In the beginning of the story, when Rabbit first begins reading the library book "Wolves", the book itself is framed and offset to the left of the unframed illustration of Rabbit, which shows him walking along and reading the book. The next page of the book reveals the next page of Rabbit's book, which is still framed but takes up a larger portion of the page. As the story goes on, and Rabbit reads deeper into "Wolves", the framing of his book gets increasingly larger until the outline of the book goes beyond the boundaries of the pages and is no longer distinguishable from Rabbit's real world. The text on these pages is positioned only on the pages of the book that Rabbit reads and therefore only contains informative information about Wolves. When Rabbit reads about what wolves like to eat it becomes clear that Rabbit is, in fact, a vital character in the story about wolves and not simply just a reader - as the framing reappears momentarily on the very edge of the right page, encompassing the rabbit into the story entirely alongside the wolf. The story appears to end abruptly at this point as the next page shows the remains of Rabbit's library book. However, a scrap of paper is illustrated on the right side of the perceived-ending that states a continuation in the story if the reader wishes for an alternative ending. The following page is formally unframed, but the illustrations appear to be constructed together with bits of paper, framing each illustration in with the edges of torn paper, implying a sense of invalidity to the alternate ending of the story. The text of the story on this page also exists on a torn scrap piece of paper.
Line and color also offer insight into the narrative of the story that both the physical reader reads and the story that the rabbit reads. The pages of Rabbit's book "Wolves" are stark white and stand out against Rabbit's physical world which is represented with a yellowish background. Rabbit, himself, is illustrated as off-white, with bits of colorful lines in the shading of his fur. The illustrations of the book he reads are entirely black and white, while the cover of the book is a deep, solid red. Along with his coloring, Rabbit is drawn with sketchy outlines and a bit of crosshatching shading. The illustrations in his book also reflect this type of line - sketchy and incomplete - differentiating both Rabbit and the wolf illustrations from the solid and complete lines of the book itself and, in turn, creating a sense of relationship between Rabbit and the story he reads.
These comparative relationships are not just apparent in the representation of the rabbit's physical world and the world of the book he reads - they are also present in the construction of Gravett's picturebook itself. In the hardcover edition of the book, the endpapers in the inside covers have the same illustrated pattern as the endpapers of the book that Rabbit reads. The physical book underneath the white jacket also reveals a correlation between the actual-book and Rabbit's book: both are a deep and solid red with bold, black letters entitling the stories "WOLVES".
In a sense, this book is a book inside a book, inside a book. The story of Rabbit is the same: he exists in one world, his own, but then in another as he becomes a part of the story he reads, and in another as he is represented in the actual-book by Emily Gravett. The multifaceted story is, overall, a complexly interwoven work of literature that reads like a children's book and instills like a classic.
May 20, 2015
The book is sooo cute! I love rabbits and mice, so when I see any of them in the books I am immediately moved. I like the concept of a rabbit which is reading a book about wolves, learning some practical knowledge and possessing realistic informatic about the lives of wolves. I also love the moment in which the rabbits finds out that wolves eat rabbits - the facial expression and the enlarged eyes of the rabbit produce a comic effect! :) I also like the modernistic literary device in which the author informs its readers that the book is a work of fiction and everything is imaginary. I like the comment that no rabbits were eaten during the making of the book and even more, the ending, in which the rabbit and the wolf share a sandwich - this is so childish, so cute, so warm, so.....unrealistic... and beautiful. I also like the pictures in the book: they are hilarious! when the rabbit reads the fragment about the tail of the wolf, it is shown in the picture that the rabbit steps on the tail of the wolf. When the rabbit reads about the fur, it is shown as walking on the fur of the wolf etc. It's wonderful!
March 6, 2014
We read two books tonight that featured wolves. The other was Bridget and the Gray Wolves. This was the better of the two books from both a narrative and illustrative standpoint.
I didn't mind the portrayal of wolves as long clawed, strong jawed, furry carnivores, because after all, that's what they are. The book really deals in facts--nothing was in here that a wolf would call inaccurate, it just wasn't a book that gave us a full view of a wolf and their place in the ecosystem. There are good nonfiction books out there for that. The Wolves Are Back springs immediately to mind. This book was meant as a little bit of irony and black humor (a rabbit checking out a book about wolves?! What could possibly go wrong?!), and my niece and nephew really enjoyed that.
I didn't mind the portrayal of wolves as long clawed, strong jawed, furry carnivores, because after all, that's what they are. The book really deals in facts--nothing was in here that a wolf would call inaccurate, it just wasn't a book that gave us a full view of a wolf and their place in the ecosystem. There are good nonfiction books out there for that. The Wolves Are Back springs immediately to mind. This book was meant as a little bit of irony and black humor (a rabbit checking out a book about wolves?! What could possibly go wrong?!), and my niece and nephew really enjoyed that.
August 9, 2016
This book, playful and witty on the surface, tells the story of a rabbit reading a book about wolves. As he reads, he walks through illustrations of wolves ultimately walking closer and closer to the wolf's open mouth. It doesn't end well...unless you opt for the alternative happy ending.
Somewhat controversial for the stereotypical portrayal of the big bad wolf, this book presents so many options for teachers. The illustrations give dimension and create the feeling that characters and elements are coming off the page and each have a unique perspective in terms of size and focus. This idea of perspective, both visually and intellectually is portrayed in such a unique way. As a teacher, the possibilities for activities in which students look through the eyes of different characters or even create their own versions of the book with different pairs are exciting.
Somewhat controversial for the stereotypical portrayal of the big bad wolf, this book presents so many options for teachers. The illustrations give dimension and create the feeling that characters and elements are coming off the page and each have a unique perspective in terms of size and focus. This idea of perspective, both visually and intellectually is portrayed in such a unique way. As a teacher, the possibilities for activities in which students look through the eyes of different characters or even create their own versions of the book with different pairs are exciting.
September 2, 2008
Very clever if somewhat horrific art at the end (the torn and dampened end cover pages are a bit too violent for my taste). It might well appeal to an older child and the violence is not at all as bad as the three little pigs boiling the wolf, or Hansel and Gretel shoving the witch into the oven, kidlit historically loves its gore and darkness. I just don't need such a visual. As a big pro-wolf person and one who wishes they received better press so people would stop shooting at them from helicopters and so forth, I was not quite as charmed as the many critics who reviewed it well. But of course, one feels like a big whomping drag for not loving it. Ah, Margaret Wise Brown, where are you when I need you?
December 29, 2008
This is a picture book about a rabbit (naturally) who goes to the library (also, naturally) and checks out a book on WOLVES. The rabbit then reads it and learns all about these terrifying (to bunnies and other creatures alike) creatures. There are very few words and the illustrations are a blend of different media and collage. A wolf gradually begins to take shape within each illustrated spread, becoming larger and larger as the rabbit becomes smaller and smaller...and then? Disaster. One shouldn’t become so caught up in reading that one fails to notice what’s lurking nearby. The story also features an alternative ending for sensitive readers. A very humorous and clever picture book. Please, please please go to your local library and/or bookstore and check it out. I loved it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2012
Wolves, by Emily Gravett, is a picture book published in 2005 and presented with a portrait layout. With that being said, every illustrations covers both pages, so although the book has a portrait orientation, it has more of a landscape feel to it. The story has an interesting dynamic to it, in that the reader is reading a book about a rabbit reading a book about wolves. Most of the text is placed within the book that the rabbit is reading. But, at times, it's hard to separate what the reader is reading and what the rabbit is reading, as the illustrations in the rabbit's book seem to be interacting with the rabbit. The simplistic illustrations, seemingly done with pen/pencil, give the book a sense of a fun, lighthearted story.
April 24, 2011
This is another one of those stories where characters in a book come to life and interact with another character reading the book, as in David Wiesner's The Three Pigs. In this case, a rabbit checks out a book on wolves from the library and begins to read it as he walks home. He's so absorbed in the book that he doesn't notice that the wolves he's reading about are slowly creeping out of the book and coming to life around him. That bunny should have picked a book on rabbits or mice or ladybugs--something smaller and less ferocious! Clever, creative. Recommended for kids who are NOT afraid of wolves!! (Warning: Sensitive readers might not like the implied ending.)
April 15, 2019
Wolves is a children's picture book with a darker side. A rabbit goes to the library to read up on Wolves. While the rabbit is reading wolf facts the rabbit is oblivious to the wolf that is stalking his prey (the rabbit). This a children's book with some dark humor so I don't know that I would recommend it to younger students, but I could see how upper-elementary students would be able to find the humor in the story. One aspect that I liked about Wolves is the author does provide factual information about wolves on each page so it does provide a bit of informational text to go along with the pictures and the rather dark ending.
October 15, 2011
Not my favorite of Gravett's, but still funny. It's a funny that I can't help smiling even though I'm trying to hide it because I don't think I should be laughing. Oh well! Definitely not for the preschool group. School-age may enjoy, though in a storytime setting I don't know if they would catch everything from the illustrations. They would probably enjoy a read-alone. A lap-read might ruin the fun of figuring the book out for one's self. I liked the choice of an alternate ending--and the overdue stuff. :-)
March 20, 2012
A rabbit checks out a nonfiction book about wolves at the library. I love Gravett's artwork and the story is very well done. It's a wonderful example of how the reader must use information from the pictures AND text for the story to make sense. I also like the alternate ending that Gravett includes. It makes the book friendly even for younger elementary students.
I really want to use this book as a spring board with second grade to discuss fiction vs. nonfiction. Inspiration for next year?
I really want to use this book as a spring board with second grade to discuss fiction vs. nonfiction. Inspiration for next year?
February 19, 2017
Summary: One day, a rabbit check out a book from the library. A book about what wolves is. When the rabbit is reading, the wolves is beginning to come out from the book, and rabbit is beginning to move into the story of his book. The rabbit walk on the wolves, but he does not realize this thing. Then everything is too late when the rabbit realizes the wolves.
POV: I think this story’s POV is 3rd person because this story uses “he” to describe what happen in the story. The reader can see every characters’ doing. The rabbit does not realize the wolves is coming in his world, and it just reads. The author does not want the rabbit realizes the wolves, but he wants reads can see the wolves, then reads can speculate what happen for next.
Plot: This book has a very interesting and suspenseful plot because the rabbit is outside for the book, but it also still in the is book. He read a book, and the wolves come out. Is the wolves eats the rabbit? We do not know because they are two characters in the story, which one that rabbit read. But if rabbit is a character, who checked out and read this story before.
Perceptual: The 5th opening bleeds on both pages. The picture shows a rabbit is reading a book that about wolves. The book is red color. In the right side of border, five anger and scary wolves live in a box, and the left side has the text. This border is a inset for the book that the rabbit is reading. Also, the rabbit is outside for the border.
Ideological: In the border, I can see the five wolves are very angry, so I think they want to kill and eat something. The rabbit is outside of the border, so the mean is rabbit is a reader, and not a character in his book. The book is red, because the book is a salience. Everything is happening with this book and rabbit.
I like this story, and I think this is a very interesting pictures book because it has a very good plot. When people read this book that they will think about the rabbit is inside for the book or outside. It has a very open ending. No one know what happen for the rabbit and wolves at end because this story has too much different clues. I think this book can help the reader practice their imagination and associative strength.
POV: I think this story’s POV is 3rd person because this story uses “he” to describe what happen in the story. The reader can see every characters’ doing. The rabbit does not realize the wolves is coming in his world, and it just reads. The author does not want the rabbit realizes the wolves, but he wants reads can see the wolves, then reads can speculate what happen for next.
Plot: This book has a very interesting and suspenseful plot because the rabbit is outside for the book, but it also still in the is book. He read a book, and the wolves come out. Is the wolves eats the rabbit? We do not know because they are two characters in the story, which one that rabbit read. But if rabbit is a character, who checked out and read this story before.
Perceptual: The 5th opening bleeds on both pages. The picture shows a rabbit is reading a book that about wolves. The book is red color. In the right side of border, five anger and scary wolves live in a box, and the left side has the text. This border is a inset for the book that the rabbit is reading. Also, the rabbit is outside for the border.
Ideological: In the border, I can see the five wolves are very angry, so I think they want to kill and eat something. The rabbit is outside of the border, so the mean is rabbit is a reader, and not a character in his book. The book is red, because the book is a salience. Everything is happening with this book and rabbit.
I like this story, and I think this is a very interesting pictures book because it has a very good plot. When people read this book that they will think about the rabbit is inside for the book or outside. It has a very open ending. No one know what happen for the rabbit and wolves at end because this story has too much different clues. I think this book can help the reader practice their imagination and associative strength.
September 25, 2011
I bought this book as it had won the Kate Greenaway Medal and had also won the Nestle Children's Book Prize Bronze Award in 2005. Although I liked the story I was not as keen on the illustrations funnily enough but I feel the acclaim the book received dilutes any comments I have about it.
In the book the wolf is sketched and although the book has some mixed media pull outs I really found the illustration were lacking for me. I compare it to illustrations that I love such as Caroline Binch's illustrations in ‘Gregory Cool’ which are luscious and Robert Lawson's illustrations in ‘The Story of Ferdinand’ for example. These pictures, paintings and collages do not leap out at me for some reason. The only colour in the book is the red of the book the rabbit is carrying but otherwise it is pencil drawn and I simply am not fond of the drawing style particularly the wolf.
The story, however, is very interesting and has an alternative ending in case you do not like what happens. The text is informative and gives us an insight into wolves. I can imagine using this text with a group of year one children and further developing, through using ICT, more background on wolves and rabbits. I would also ask the children what they think about the illustrations and do an art project using pencils surrounding this book.
I have ordered Emily Gravett's 'Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears' to see if it is just 'Wolves' that I can not get on with. Review to follow...
In the book the wolf is sketched and although the book has some mixed media pull outs I really found the illustration were lacking for me. I compare it to illustrations that I love such as Caroline Binch's illustrations in ‘Gregory Cool’ which are luscious and Robert Lawson's illustrations in ‘The Story of Ferdinand’ for example. These pictures, paintings and collages do not leap out at me for some reason. The only colour in the book is the red of the book the rabbit is carrying but otherwise it is pencil drawn and I simply am not fond of the drawing style particularly the wolf.
The story, however, is very interesting and has an alternative ending in case you do not like what happens. The text is informative and gives us an insight into wolves. I can imagine using this text with a group of year one children and further developing, through using ICT, more background on wolves and rabbits. I would also ask the children what they think about the illustrations and do an art project using pencils surrounding this book.
I have ordered Emily Gravett's 'Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears' to see if it is just 'Wolves' that I can not get on with. Review to follow...
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