BROTHER WOLF OF GUBBIO

In simple, lyrical language, accompanied by richly colored paintings, newcomer Santangelo tells a story of how friendship and trust replaced fear and hatred. Once, a very long time ago, a lone wolf was “old and tired, and a new young leader had taken his place.” The wolf remained behind, near an Italian mountain village as his pack moved on. The next morning, to his surprise and good fortune, a young lamb strayed from its flock and appeared right in front of him. Gathering his last bit of energy the old wolf pounced and filled his empty belly. Over the next few weeks the wolf stole a lamb here, a goat there, and even wandered into the town. The town’s people didn’t see an ancient, wretched lone wolf. Their imagination and fear had created a monster so big and terrible that they could barely leave their homes. The baker grew tired of being afraid and set out for the village of Assisi, where a man named Francis lived. They had heard that Francis could tame the wildest of beasts. Santangelo creates unique illustrations by using ink and colored pencil on wood panels (bordered in gold leaf), laid out in a style reminiscent of segments of stained glass. Santangelo’s palette is slightly dark and muddy, which feels at odds with the reference to cathedral windows. However, the deep purples, greens, and blues are applied in a pattern of staining that allows the wood grain to show through, and the overall effect is quite lovely. A promising debut. No source notes. (Nonfiction. 8-10)