This beautiful book offers families a story of a young character who is in charge of her own destiny.  The Girl and the Wolf  is about a little girl, who when caught in a stressful situation, takes stock, listens to sound advice and thinks her way out of her predicament.

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A tale about knowledge, power, and trust …

The Girl and the Wolf

Katherena Vermette – Author
Julie Flett – Illustrator

While picking berries with her mother, a little girl wanders too far into the woods.  Despite her mother’s warning to stay close as night approaches, the girl finds herself lost in the woods and feeling “cold and scared.” In classic wolf-narrative style, a “tall grey wolf with big white teeth” appears, but unlike those in many traditional tales, this wolf offers help.

When she realizes she is lost, she begins to panic.  In classic wolf-narrative style, a “tall grey wolf with big white teeth” appears, but unlike those in many traditional tales, this wolf offers help.

Using his sense of smell, he determines where she came from and decides to help her.  The wolf never gives the girl the answer but instead says to her, “Take a deep breath. Close your eyes, then look. What do you see?”   This thoughtful question allows the girl find solutions on her own.  The little girl realizes she has the knowledge and skill to navigate herself—she just needed to remember that those abilities were there all along.  By balancing experiential knowledge (identifying berries that are safe to eat) with instinctual trust (following the wolf’s guidance) can the girl hope to reunite with her family.

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How many times do we, as adults, offer solutions to our children’s problems?  This thoughtful prompt, certainly could be used with our children in any unfamiliar or overwhelming circumstance.

“Take a deep breath. Close your eyes, then look. What do you see?”