Wolf in the Snow, by Matthew Cordell

Wolf in the Snow, by Matthew Cordell, is a beautiful wordless picture book, one of my very favorites. It’s the perfect story to curl up with on a snowy day!

Wolf in the Snow is wordless winter perfection!

It’s been a while since I’ve written about a wordless picture book. And now that we are heading into December, it’s time to settle on the couch with your kids and Wolf In the Snow to get you dreaming of those white, wintry days.

Oh my goodness.

This nearly wordless picture book is such a beauty, and I can’t get over the emotion that is conveyed in every one of Matthew Cordell’s stunning illustrations.

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In Wolf in the Snow, a girl in a red coat braves a harsh snowy day on her way home from school. But as she walks, she comes across a lost and scared wolf pup. The girl befriends the pup and what follows is her journey through the sting of winter to return the pup to its family. She travels long and far thought. So long and so far, in fact, that she loses her way. How will she ever get home?

Wolf in the Snow is a perfect hero’s journey

Wordless books. I know- just the sound of them is intimidating to most. But the beauty of a wordless story is that the book comes alive in your child’s hands. It’s almost like witnessing magic happen, watching as your little one analyzes the illustrations, decodes their meaning, and puts words to the pictures before her.

And Wolf in the Snow is the perfect hero’s journey for those of you new to wordless stories. It is easy to interpret yet so richly evocative. You will be amazed at how Cordell’s simplistic drawings – done in pen and ink with a bit of watercolor- tug at your heartstrings and stay with you long after the final page. You will feel like you are right there in the snowy moment with the girl and wolf.

Cordell is one to watch, and we here at HEE cannot wait to see what he tackles next. Wolf in the Snow is an absolute beauty, full of heart, and gets two trunks up from our team.

Check out Wolf in the Snow at these links!