Pitching The Girl and the Wolf
By Matthew Favreau
About The Girl and The Wolf
The Girl and the Wolf is a children’s book written by Katherena Vermette and illustrated by Julie Flett that follows the journey of a young child who is lost in the woods. Scared and alone, she befriends a wolf who agrees to help her. However, rather than simply leading the girl out of the forest, the wolf instead guides her to the realization that all the necessary skills to overcome this difficult situation were within her the entire time. This book is a reimagination of The Little Red Riding Hood that features an Indigenous child and that introduces many important Indigenous practices. This book teaches the importance of confidence and of trusting in oneself through times of trouble and uncertainty. Much like the girl in the story, this book is written in a way that should bring young readers to this realization themselves, making this story easily applicable to real-life scenarios.
Why does this book matter?
The Girl and the Wolf is an extremely important book that teaches individuals to trust their own feelings and instincts through troubling times. Young children often have a tendency to depend on the adults in their lives to solve problems they encounter, and likewise, adults can be far too keen on ensuring their children never face difficulties on their own. This story carries valuable messages that can be applied to both adults and children alike. For children, it is important for them to learn to trust their own identity in times of uncertainty. While the book follows a girl’s journey through the forest, it can serve as an analogy for many moments in childhood, particularly concerning self-identity and gender. While it can be a confusing and scary time, the book highlights that the necessary skills to navigate through any issue are always within oneself. The process of self-discovery in every aspect can be equally difficult for the parent of a child, and this book effectively highlights that dynamic as well. It is critical that parents refrain from telling their children how they should be or try to solve such a sensitive issue for them. Instead, parents must act like the wolf in the story, simply supporting their children and asking questions that allow children to lead themselves to who they truly are.
Representation matters
This book is expertly crafted to serve as a universal guide in self-identity. The nature of a girl trusting herself to escape the forest can be easily applied to any aspect of growing up. Whether it be sexuality, gender, ethnicity, religion, or more, the principle message remains the same. While many children’s books throughout history have held a prescriptive tone, this is certainly one that is healthy and helpful for any individual encountering any given struggle in life, both in a child trying to discover themselves, and a parent looking to unconditionally support that child. This book is also important since it introduces important Indigenous themes and an Indigenous character. This kind of representation matters in children since they need to see themselves in the literature that they read.
Video: A reading of The Girl and the Wolf
Watch the video down below for a live reading of The Girl and the Wolf by Katherena Vermette and illustrated by Julie Flett.
“Just For Fun Story Time - The Girl And The Wolf.” YouTube, uploaded by Angelina Abbott, 19 Aug. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i21YUyD-f-A. Accessed 4 April, 2022.
Sources
“The Girl and the Wolf”, The Orca Books Publishers, www.orcabook.com/The-Girl-and-the-Wolf. Accessed 3 April, 2022.