It’s not very often I’ll make the time these days to sit and read a book….unless it’s a children’s book. For as long as I can remember we have always tried our hardest to encourage the kids to love books. It didn’t have to always be about the reading. When the kids were younger we’d look at picture books or pop-up books, sing nursery rhymes or flick through magazines.
With two kids now part way through primary school it’s nice to see their reading develop. They both have similar tastes in the types of fiction they enjoy but Logan loves a good book about football facts and Florence loves a flick through the encyclopaedia….particularly the body section – Lord help us!
My youngest girls, ages 2 and 3 years, are the perfect age for bedtime stories and even if the rest of the evening routine goes to pot we always make time for a story. We were recently sent the fourth book in the series from Rachel Bright, and illustrated by Jim Field, called ‘The Way Home for Wolf‘. We actually already own another of their books and so we were excited to get stuck in.
Before I even talk about the touching storyline I have to mention the illustrations – they’re just beautiful. Wilf the Wolfling is a lovable character with his big, icy blue eyes. The Arctic setting provides the opportunity for some really dramatic and beautiful imagery – a real departure from your typical children’s book.
Wilf the Wolfling thinks he’s brave and ready to lead his pack – he doesn’t want help from anyone. However Wilf soon loses his bearings as a blizzard blows in and can’t find his way back. As Wilf lands himself in hot cold water, a handful of Arctic friends comes to the rescue. Wilf’s adventures have taught him something important: sometimes even the most independent of people need a helping hand.
The Way Home for Wolf, from the creators of The Lion Inside, The Koala Who Could and The Squirrels Who Squabbled, is a another fun rhyming book and, as a parent I love reading books that rhyme. It has that kind of gentle sing-song rhythm yet is easy and fairly quick to read because, lets face it, by bedtime none us are about to read War and Peace.
But this book isn’t just a quick bedtime read. The vocabulary throughout is descriptive yet easy enough for my 7yr old to read to her sisters, which she does frequently. Reading with a 7yr old is like reading a totally new book – she picked up on the adjectives and the similes and the moral of the story was clearly evident to her.
The paperback of The Way Home for Wolf is available now from all good book stores and online.