Story of the Kind Wolf, Thed

I must disagree with the Customer Reviewer who gave this book such a low rating. There is nothing nightmare-inducing here. Yes, a fox catches and eats a mouse, but the incident is treated matter-of-factly. Beatrix Potter herself would approve of the tone -- remember Tom Kitten in the Roly-Poly Pudding, about to be consumed by giant rats? Now THAT'S scary. The story shows how we can either transcend or embrace the stereotypes attached to us. We have a choice. Here, the wolf decides he doesn't want to kill, but actually prefers to heal the sick and injured. He meets with resistance from the forest denizens at first, but eventually he proves to be a good doctor.The pastel illustrations are wonderfully evocative. You feel the bitter cold of the winter, the fright of the poor little rabbit, and the wolf's sense of concern as he rescues the creature.

I gave it five because 10 wasn't available! Ignore the negative review. Why, you ask? Because my six-year-old sister reads it every night, and she never gets bored.Children are often brainwashed about wolves. Not to mention everything else. Stereotypes are ridiculous- and this book shows it. The illustrations are beautiful. Unless your sister/children are afraid of the food chain, get this book for them!

I have to disagree with the last review. I have read this book to hundreds of first graders and to my own son, and there was nary a complaint of nightmares. It does portray the food chain and the bitter winter in a dramatic, naturalistic way, but frankly, a fox is likely to eat a mouse and winter is hard on many animals. The point of the story is that we should look beyond appearances, and that a leopard...and a wolf...can change his stripes; we should give folks a chance to improve themselves. Even the fox is a vegetarian by the end!Quirky story with a European style that may not to be everybody's taste, but definitely a winner in my neck of the woods!

The story and illustrations of this book are very wonderful. I must say I fell in love with it the moment I got a hold on it. This is a book that could be read over and over again and would not get old... As a childrens book, I highly suggest it. Thank you!